Lee Jung-jae as Ki-hun in the second season of
Lee Jung-jae as Ki-hun in the second season of "Squid Game" (Netflix)

A Korean professor has taken aim at ongoing intellectual property theft in China amid the international success of Netflix’s "Squid Game" season two.

Seo Kyung-duk, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women’s University, criticized the widespread piracy of Korean content in China, where Netflix is not officially available. Nearly 60,000 reviews of the hit series have been posted on Douban, a popular Chinese social media platform.

“Piracy ran rampant during the release of (the first season of) 'Squid Game,' and now it’s just an everyday phenomenon,” Seo wrote on Tuesday. “What’s even more shocking is the complete lack of shame.”

Seo accused China of a consistent pattern of exploiting Korean cultural content.

From using unauthorized images of K-pop artists to selling counterfeit merchandise of Korean products, he argued that intellectual property rights have repeatedly been disregarded in China.

He urged Chinese authorities to take action, pointing to their successful crackdown on illegal distribution during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

“China protected the intellectual property of its mascot ‘Bing Dwen Dwen’ with strict enforcement. They know how to take measures when it matters to them,” Seo emphasized. “It’s time for China to respect other nations’ creative works. Only then will their own culture gain respect globally.”

Meanwhile, the second season of "Squid Game" maintains its position as the top global Netflix show since its release on Sunday, according to streaming analytics platform FlixPatrol.