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Still from the Korean Netflix series “Narco-Saints” (courtesy Netflix)

The country of Suriname, located in South America, said it would be considering taking legal action against the producers of the Netflix series “Narco-Saints,” the Korean title of which is “Suriname.” The South American country says the Netflix drama is reinforcing a negative image of Suriname as a state associated with the drug trade.

According to an article posted by the Suriname Herald on Tuesday, the country’s minister of foreign affairs, Albert Ramdin, said the drama was painting Suriname in a negative light and stated that “legal measures would be taken against the producers of the series.”

“While Suriname has long had the negative image of being a drug transit country, we no longer hold that image,” Ramdin said. “Our country has tried to improve our image, but this drama is once again placing Suriname in a negative light,” the minister added.

The article also stated that the Surinamese government is planning on expressing its discontent with the show to the Korean government via an ambassador.

The series, which Netflix released on Friday, tells the story of an ordinary South Korean businessman cooperating with the National Intelligence Service in a secret operation to arrest a Korean drug lord who has taken control over Suriname.

Suriname, the backdrop of the series, is depicted as a country where violence and corruption are rampant.

According to FlixPatrol, a streaming content ranking site, as of Wednesday, “Narco-Saints” ranked at No. 3 in the world in the Netflix TV series category and was gaining popularity.

The country of Suriname first began the process of establishing diplomatic ties with South Korea after it gained independence from the Netherlands in 1975.

Currently, South Korea does not have a separate embassy in Suriname, but the country is covered by the Korean Embassy in Venezuela.

By Cho Hae-young, staff reporter

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