tvN’s weekend drama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty has sparked controversy after a Chinese voice actor mocked cast member Jo Jae Yoon’s Chinese lines. The dubber not only claimed credit for recording the actor’s dialogue but also left disparaging comments, drawing backlash from both Korean and international audiences.
In episodes 5 and 6, viewers saw imperial eunuch Yu Kun (Kim Hyung Mook) and royal chef Tang Bailong (Jo Jae Yoon) belittle Joseon cuisine. Both actors delivered their lines in Chinese with Korean subtitles. Jo Jae Yoon’s pronunciation even drew praise in some circles for sounding “standard.” However, the controversy began when a Chinese dubber alleged online, “I dubbed Jo Jae Yoon’s Chinese lines. Other actors were fine, but his voice was horrible. Even the Korean producers who understood Chinese couldn’t hold back their laughter.”
Although the post was quickly deleted, local media reports spread the claim, prompting netizens in Greater China to react with surprise: “No wonder his pronunciation sounded too accurate it was dubbed.”
Korean viewers, however, expressed frustration: “Why mock a Korean actor for not being fluent in Chinese?” and “Don’t Chinese dramas also use standard Mandarin dubbing?” Others suggested the production should have simply kept the character’s dialogue in Korean to avoid awkwardness.
Despite the noise, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty continues to thrive. Episode 6 recorded a metropolitan household average rating of 13.1% with peaks of 15.1%. Internationally, the drama ranked No. 2 on Netflix’s Global Non-English TV Shows chart, holding a spot in the Top 10 for three consecutive weeks.
According to FlixPatrol, the series has entered the Top 10 in 93 regions worldwide and reached No. 1 in 44 markets including Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. In the United States, it entered the Top 10 immediately after release, peaking at No. 4 making it one of the most notable K-dramas of 2025 so far.
Sources: nate
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