LONDON: The makers of hit Korean romantic comedy-drama “King the Land” on Wednesday apologized for the portrayal of an Arab character in the show. The nature of the character, and the fact that he is played by an Indian actor, sparked outrage among Arab viewers and an angry online backlash against production companies NPIO Entertainment, BY4M Studio and Studio LuluLala, which faced allegations of perpetuating an offensive stereotype. They came under fire after two episodes of the show, which streams internationally on Netflix, featured an arrogant Arab prince called Samir, played by Anupam Tripathi, who flaunts his wealth, drinks alcohol and flirts with women. “We would like to express our deep and sincere apology for causing unnecessary inconvenience to our viewers without full consideration of other valued cultures, although we have no intention of caricaturing or distorting any particular country or culture in the process,” the producers said by way of apology, according to The Korea Times. In their statement, which was also posted on a bulletin board for viewers of the show, they added: “It has been our sharp realization that there has been a lack of understanding, experience and consideration for other cultures. “We will do our best going forward to create content that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of where they are from and what kind of culture they have.” The producers also promised to edit the problematic scenes in future broadcasts and to exercise more caution when developing projects. “We will take a thorough look into the part of the video which was considered problematic and do our best to make sure that right measures are taken,” they said. “We earnestly promise our viewers that more care will be taken down the road so that there will be no inconvenience in viewing our content.” In one of the scenes that attracted criticism, Prince Samir, dressed in a traditional Arab outfit, is seen bragging about his wealth as he sits at a bar, drinking alcohol and flirting with Western women. Many commentators on social media criticized the character for being offensive and perpetuating an unfair stereotype. Some also questioned the decision to cast an Indian actor instead of an Arab. According to Netflix charts, “King the Land” is currently the second-most-watched show on the platform in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.