Vietnam demands removal of “Little Women” from Netflix
Some details in the film misrepresented the truth of the Vietnam War that involved South Korean forces in the mid-21st century.
Subscription-based streaming service provider Netflix has been ordered to remove “Little Women” series from its library in Vietnam due to some content distorting Vietnamese history.
| Poster of "Little Women". |
The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (ABEI) demanded the removal from the Vietnamese service of the platform on October 5.
According to ABEI, the South Korean-produced television series “Little Women” violated Vietnam's Law on the Press and Law on Cinema, trashing history, defaming the country, and engaging in prohibited actions.
The offenses were noted in Episode 3’s 58th minute and Episode 8’s fifth to the seventh minute. In general, the movie includes discussions about the war in Vietnam, which highlighted the involvement of South Korean soldiers and provides certain details that twisted the historical truth.
The Head of the ABEI, Le Quang Tu Do, said Netflix is working on the issue.
Many moviegoers and internet users agreed with the decision, arguing that while history must be accurate in all cases, influential films that convey such themes should be carefully considered before their release.
In reality, South Korean soldiers fighting the war in Vietnam in the 1960s left serious pain to local people with atrocities, including murder and raping. Vietnamese people today tend to forgive war barbarity, and many South Koreans who are aware of the situation have expressed their regret to the war victims.
The ABEI has so far banned and asked for the removal of a number of films, including “Madam Secretary”, “Put Your Head On My Shoulder”, “Pine Gap” and most recently “Uncharted” starring Hollywood actor Tom Holland, that violated Vietnamese law and sovereignty by inserting Beijing’s illegal Nine-dash line.
In 2016, Netflix started providing services in Vietnam. It promised to meet tax obligations through 2020 after years of operations and inquiries from the Vietnamese Government.
The streaming service provider charges an average of VND260,000 (US$10) a month to Vietnamese users. Netflix app is available on almost all smart TV and becomes popular in Vietnam, having the largest film library compared to its rivals.
