According to Chinese media, including The Paper and Guangming Daily, Kung Fu football it earned more than 600 million yuan (about $84 million) in the first three days of release after its July 11 premiere.
Industry forecasts suggest the film could top 2.5 billion yuan (about $350 million) at the Chinese box office. The film serves as a spiritual successor to Stephen Chow’s iconic 2001 comedy Shaolin footballwhich follows an underdog women’s soccer team who combines martial arts with soccer to achieve unlikely success.
The controversy centers on the fictional Korean women’s soccer team featured in the film. According to reports, the team is described as:
- Being more interested in makeup and cosmetic contact lenses than football.
- Committing deliberate fouls and violent tackles before pretending to be the victims to deceive the referees.
- Speaking in Korean awkwardly while shouting, “Referee, help us!”
- Serving as the main antagonists during some parts of the story.
Some spectators also argued that the team’s name appears to reference a well-known Korean women’s university, further fueling the criticism.
The depiction quickly sparked discussion in Korean online communities and social media. Critics have argued that the film unfairly associates Korean women’s soccer with dirty play and superficial stereotypes. Comments included:
- This portrays Korean women’s football in a negative light.
- Even in comedy, mocking a specific country is uncomfortable.
- Painting the Korean team as obsessed with appearance and cheating has gone too far.
Others, however, urged audiences to consider Stephen Chow’s signature filmmaking style. Supporters have noted that his films have long relied on exaggerated, slapstick humor and over-the-top villains, arguing that the characters should not necessarily be interpreted as a direct commentary on Korea or its women’s soccer team.
Throughout his career, Stephen Chow has become known for absurdist comedy, exaggerated characterizations, and intentionally unrealistic situations. Many of his films feature flashy villains and caricatured personalities designed primarily for comedic effect rather than realism. Even so, critics argue that national stereotypes can have different implications when applied to real countries or cultures, especially in internationally distributed productions.
Despite the growing debate in South Korea, Kung Fu football continues to perform well at the Chinese box office. Whether the controversy will affect the film’s reception outside China remains to be seen, but the discussion has highlighted the fine line between broad comedy and cultural stereotypes in global entertainment.
Sources: Daum | Sports Chosun
