Netflix and producer Kim Hak Min addressed the plagiarism issue involving the show 'Culinary Class Wars' in China.
On September 2, the Netflix Entertainment Festival 2025 was held at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul.
The event featured appearances from producer Hwang Seul Woo of 'Crime Scene Zero', Jang Ho Ki of 'Physical: Asia,' producer Kim Ye Seul of 'Three Meals in Kenya' and 'Lee Seo Jin’s Dalla Dalla,' producer Kim Hak Min of 'Culinary Class Wars: Class Battle 2,' Kim Jae Won of 'Single’s Inferno 5,' Jung Jong Yeon of 'Mystery Squad 2,' producer Lee So Min of 'Chaotic Proposal 2' and 'Yoo Jae Suk’s Camp,' producer Kim No Eun and director Yoo Ki Hwan of 'Better Late Than Single 2.'
In particular, producer Kim Hak Min, who directed 'Culinary Class Wars,' and director Yoo Ki Hwan addressed the recent plagiarism controversy involving China’s Tencent.
Previously, Chinese OTT platform Tencent Video unveiled a new variety show titled 'Chef of China.' The program, themed around a love for Chinese cuisine, features 100 chefs competing with woks, knives, and flames.
However, suspicions of plagiarism quickly arose due to its striking resemblance to 'Culinary Class Wars.' The show copied not only the 1:1 duel between "Black Chefs" and "White Chefs," but also the format of operating pop-up restaurants in teams, the judging system with ordinary people and celebrity panels, and even core production elements such as set design and directing style.
Regarding this, producer Kim Hak Min said, "I first learned about it when director Yoo Ki Hwan sent me a link on KakaoTalk. When I watched it, there were scenes you simply couldn’t mistake. The set, of course, but even the opening sequence, the part that explains the show, was nearly shot-for-shot identical. My initial reaction wasn’t anger or sadness but sheer shock at how much was copied. It was so blatant that I found myself thinking, 'If they worked this hard to copy it, that’s impressive in its own way'," he said with a laugh.
He continued, "What’s unfortunate is that our producers stayed up all night crafting scenes frame by frame, only for them to be duplicated with the same cuts, same angles, even the same BGM. That part was truly disappointing."
Director Yoo Ki Hwan added, "Netflix immediately recognized the situation and went into in-depth discussions. We see this not just as similarity, but as deliberate exploitation of many elements. What Netflix values most is acknowledgment of creative effort and intellectual property, so we have formally demanded that Tencent suspend broadcasting. Going forward, Netflix has no intention of overlooking or condoning IP infringement and will respond officially while monitoring Tencent’s reaction."
SEE ALSO: A Beginner’s Guide to K-Slang that will make you Sound Instantly Cooler
SHARE
