Overseas Koreans told to take care after Suriname's threat of legal action against Netflix series

After the South American country of Suriname announced it will take legal action against the hit Netflix Korea series "Narco-Saints" for depicting it as a drug-ridden nation, the Korean embassy warned local Korean residents to pay special ..

A scene from the new Neflix Korea series "Narco-Saints" [NETFLIX]

After the South American country of Suriname announced it will take legal action against the hit Netflix Korea series “Narco-Saints” for depicting it as a drug-ridden nation, the Korean embassy warned local Korean residents to pay special attention to their safety.

The Korean embassy in Venezuela posted an official statement titled “Safety Notice for the Korean community in Suriname” on its website Tuesday.

“We are assuming that many Korean residents in Suriname are very troubled due to the aftermath of ‘Suriname,’” the statement reads. “Please pay attention to your safety, and if there are any concerns or need for help, please notify us through the local president of the Korean community immediately.”

“The embassy has the safety of Koreans as our first concern and will do our best for your security,” it added.

The Korean embassy in Venezuela posted an official statement titled “Safety Notice for the Korean community in Suriname” on its website Tuesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korea and Suriname established diplomatic relations in 1975. The Korean embassy in Venezuela also covers Suriname.

On Monday, the Surinamese government officially objected to the Neflix show’s portrayal of the country and announced it would take legal action. According to an article in the Suriname Herald published on Sept. 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation Albert Ramdin said during a press briefing on Sept. 12 that he will take legal action against the producers of Korea's Netflix series that is depicting Suriname as a corrupt country associated with cocaine.

The minister is quoted as saying that Suriname has made so much effort to distance itself from such negative images and “is no longer a country associated with drugs.”

“However, the country is on the verge of a crisis of being tainted again with the image due to Netflix’s recent series. I am going to make contact with Korea regarding the issue,” the minister said.

The report said that the minister plans to reach out to the U.S Embassy in Korea as there is no Korean embassy in Suriname.

A scene from the new Neflix Korea series "Narco-Saints" [NETFLIX]

The South American nation, located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America next to Brazil, became familiar to most Koreans after being featured in the Netflix series “Narco-Saints.” The show’s original title in Korean is “Suriname.”

The series revolves around a drug lord active in Suriname and undercover secret agents working to capture him. It’s adapted from true events related to a Korean drug lord named Cho Bong-haeng who operated a massive trafficking organization in Suriname between the late 1990s and early 2000s.

At a local press interview in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul on Thursday, the director of the series Yoon Jong-bin declined to comment on the issue when the Korea JoongAng Daily asked about the Surinamese government's objection to the show's depiction of the country. "From the beginning of Episode 1 of the series, the word 'Suriname' keeps popping up throughout the story," Yoon told the press when asked about the Korean title of the series. "I could not think of any other title than to name it as 'Suriname.'"

Five days after launching on Sept. 9, “Narco-Saints” is currently the third most-watched on Top TV shows on Netflix, according to data analysis company FlixPatrol as of Thursday.

BY HALEY YANG, LEE JAE-LIM [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]