[Tower of Fantasy] KR Promotional Debacle: Artist Linked to Cultural Appropriation Controversy Sparks Backlash

Recently, Tower of Fantasy has faced intense backlash from Chinese players over its latest promotional campaign in South Korea. The game partnered with K-pop star Sunmi, a move that immediately triggered controversy due to her past involvement in 'cultural appropriation' disputes—specifically allegations that she claimed traditional Chinese elements, such as folding fans and 'rich flower' (Hua Kai Fu Gui) patterns, as part of Korean heritage.

Evidence compiled by netizens shows the artist attempting to link Chinese patterns and traditional games like Chinese jump rope to Korean culture, an act that previously ignited significant outrage. Furious players slammed the decision, with many questioning the company's vetting process and declaring, "Please stop looking for marketing partners in the trash."

The community response has been predictably cynical. While some predicted that the developers would shift the blame onto Tencent (the usual publisher), it was clarified that the South Korean and Taiwanese versions are actually operated by Perfect World themselves—effectively making this a direct own-goal by the developer. Commenters noted that the game has a track record of similar controversies, suggesting that the team is either completely incompetent at due diligence or simply doesn't care about the optics of such disputes.