Overview
- Vietnam’s Department of Cinema said inspectors found the disputed map appearing multiple times in episode 25 during a lecture scene and reclassified the 27-episode series as Category C, which bars distribution.
- Authorities gave Netflix 24 hours from Jan. 3 to comply, and the platform confirmed the show was no longer available in Vietnam by Jan. 5–6 after receiving a written request.
- Officials said the depiction misrepresents history and violates national sovereignty, triggering action under the country’s cinema law.
- The removal extends a pattern that previously saw Vietnam block Netflix’s Flight To You and ban the film Barbie over similar imagery, with other Southeast Asian markets also enforcing rules on disputed maps.
- Market coverage noted Netflix shares slipped nearly 3% following the order, and industry commentary urged stronger pre-release screening for geopolitical symbols in regional releases.