K-Drama 'Dear X' Issues Apology After Poster Plagiarism Claims Against Chinese Movie

Dear X apologizes for a plagiarized poster.
The design copied a Chinese movie artwork.
This romance-thriller stars actress Kim Yoo Jung.

TVING's upcoming original drama 'Dear X' has long been one of the most buzzed-about romance thrillers slated for release. Helmed by the renowned director Lee Eung-bok, the creative mastermind behind global hits like 'Descendants of the Sun,' 'Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,' and 'Sweet Home,' expectations were already sky-high. The project is based on a popular Naver webtoon and boasts a stellar cast led by Kim Yoo-jung, promising a dark and gripping narrative.

The story revolves around Baek Ah-jin, a top actress with a meticulously crafted image who manipulates everyone around her to climb the ladder of success. Her seemingly kind demeanor hides a ruthless, sociopathic interior, making her a fascinating and complex character. The plot thickens as it explores the tragic death of a first love, which entangles a group of characters who are forced to confront each other a decade later, unraveling a web of buried secrets and hidden truths. This potent mix of tight suspense, psychological drama, and twisted romance had firmly placed 'Dear X' on many must-watch lists.

However, just as excitement was building, the drama has found itself embroiled in a significant controversy that threatens to overshadow its launch. The issue centers on the drama's character poster, which has come under intense fire for bearing a striking and undeniable resemblance to the poster for the 2017 Chinese film 'Suspect X,' itself an adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s celebrated novel 'The Devotion of Suspect X.' The side-by-side comparisons began circulating online on September 9th, instantly sparking a heated debate among netizens who were quick to point out the similarities.

A Poster Sparks Outrage: Netizens Cry Foul Over Blatant Copying

The online reaction was swift and severe, with Korean netizens (K-netizens) leveling sharp criticism at the production team. The consensus was that this went far beyond mere inspiration and landed squarely in the territory of plagiarism. Comments flooded in with many criticism towards Dear X's poster.

"It’s not just similar, it’s identical."

"I thought it was the male and female version."

"I would’ve believed it was a remake."

"This is just plagiarizing…."

"I'm a fan of the original… Please be mindful."

"Wow, it's exactly the same."

The fact that the Chinese film was a major award-winning production did not go unnoticed, with many questioning the designers' choices.

"The film was so famous. Why did they copy the poster?"

"It's so similar that it's embarrassing."

"What was the designer thinking? This movie was so famous. I even know the poster."

"Did the designer really think they could get away with blatantly copying another poster?"

"Wow, that's just the same."

"They copied the colors, composition, and even the typography."

Adding to the confusion is the shared "X" in both titles, leading some to mistakenly assume 'Dear X' was an official Korean remake of the Higashino story. This misunderstanding only intensified the criticism, with many commenters calling the situation particularly "embarrassing," especially in light of the frequent reports of Chinese productions copying Korean content.

Faced with the overwhelming evidence and public backlash, the production team for 'Dear X' acted quickly. They removed the controversial poster from all their channels and issued a formal apology.

"We sincerely apologize for the discomfort caused by our lack of attention during the production process. We will strengthen our review process to ensure this does not happen again," said production team Dear X, quoted from Allkpop.

What is 'Dear X' Actually About and Who Stars In It?

Putting the controversy aside, 'Dear X' remains a formidable project. The story centers on Baek Ah-jin (played by Kim Yoo-jung), a two-faced actress who can read and masterfully manipulate the people around her to fulfill her darkest desires. Kim Young-dae stars as Yoon Jun-seo, a man utterly devoted to Baek Ah-jin and willing to risk everything to protect her.

Kim Do-hoon takes on the role of Kim Jae-oh, a shadowy figure who exerts control over Ah-jin from behind the scenes. Rounding out the main cast is Lee Yul-eum as Rena, an idol-turned-actress who becomes entangled in the complex web due to her unrequited love for Jun-seo. Furthermore, adding to the intrigue, actor Hwang In-youp is set to make a special appearance as Heo In-gang, an idol-turned-actor with a secret of his own.

After this early preview at the festival, the full series is scheduled to premiere exclusively on the TVING streaming platform in November 2025. Despite its rocky start, the combination of a proven director, a talented cast, and a compelling source material means all eyes will still be on 'Dear X' to see if the on-screen drama can ultimately eclipse the off-screen controversy.

Source: enews.imbc, allkpop, naver