Tving’s ‘Dear X’ pulls poster after plagiarism controversy

Posters for “Dear X,” left, and Chinese film “The Devotion of Suspect X,” which sparked plagiarism claims / Courtesy of Tving

The upcoming Tving original series “Dear X” has been hit with allegations of poster plagiarism. The production team said it has stopped using the poster in question and pledged to prevent a recurrence.

An official from the “Dear X” production team said on Wednesday, “We belatedly recognized the similarity between our launch poster and a specific reference, so we immediately halted its use and decided not to use it going forward.”

The official added, “We sincerely apologize for causing discomfort by failing to thoroughly oversee the production process. We will strengthen our review process to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.”

“Dear X” tells the story of Baek A-jin (Kim Yoo-jung), a top actress who hides her ruthless true self behind a beautiful face while trampling on others. The drama depicts her downfall, as Yoon Jun-seo (Kim Young-dae) chooses hell in order to protect her, showing a desperate kind of love.

The launch poster, unveiled last week, featured Kim Yoo-jung’s piercing gaze peering through an X-shaped tear in a sheet of paper. Viewers pointed out its resemblance to promotional material for the Chinese film “The Devotion of Suspect X,” prompting the production to apologize.

“Dear X” will premiere on Tving on Nov. 6.

Kim You-jung as Baek A-jin and Kim Young-dae as Yoon Joon-seo in "Dear X" / Courtesy of Tving

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.