'Descendants of the Sun' scenes changed for China

The scene of a fight between South Korean and North Korean soldiers in the first episode / Courtesy of KBS2 TV

By Kim Da-hee

KBS2 TV’s mega-hit drama “Descendants of the Sun,” the first Korean series being aired simultaneously in Korea and China, offers subtly different scenes in the Chinese version.

The 16-episode drama, starring Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, was completed before broadcast began, partly with a Chinese company’s investment. The drama airs on the Korean broadcaster and Chinese online video platform iQiyi.

During the review process in China, which has strict rules on broadcasting foreign dramas, some scenes, including a military confrontation between South Korean and North Korean soldiers, were deleted or altered.

A fight between South Korean and North Korean soldiers in the first episode and the scene where Song, a doctor from Doctors Without Borders, treats a Chinese soldier, are not in the Chinese version.

“Some scenes, including a military confrontation between the South and North Korean soldiers, were changed by censorship,” an official at Music & New, a distribution company for the music from the drama, said.

Meanwhile, China’s public security ministry has warned that the drama could lead to martial trouble and criminal behavior.

The drama has been watched more than 440 million times on the Chinese platform.