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K-drama Anna controversy: Coupang Play and director Lee Joo-young tussle over re-edited version of hit streaming series

  • Anna director Lee Joo-young has clashed with Korean streaming service Coupang Play over what she says was its re-editing of the series without her consent
  • Lee demanded an apology and claims to have received one. Coupang Play denies saying sorry, and says that what it did was within its contractual rights

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Bae Suzy in a still from Anna, the K-drama series caught in a re-editing controversy between the director and the streaming service Coupang Play.

Since the beginning of August an intense game of he-said, she-said has gripped the Korean drama industry.

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Lee Joo-young, director of the drama Anna, starring Bae Suzy, accuses streaming service Coupang Play of significantly altering the show before its launch without her consent.

This week Siwoo, a law firm representing Lee, published a statement regarding an apology it said she had received from Coupang Play and it briefly appeared as though the storm had settled. However, the streaming service immediately fired back with a strong rebuttal, further complicating the already sensitive affair.

Anna is the second scripted series from Coupang Play, the fledgling streaming service operated by e-commerce giant Coupang, which is often described as Korea’s Amazon. It follows last year’s well-received debut series One Ordinary Day starring Kim Soo-hyun.
Anna 안나 (2022) Official Trailer | Suzy, Jung Eun Chae [ENG]

The show began streaming on June 24 in South Korea to strong reviews and Coupang credited it with boosting the service’s unique users during the month to a sizeable 3.73 million.

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