Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Soccer' Tops China Box Office Amid South Korean Backlash

Stephen Chow's latest sports comedy 'Kung Fu Soccer' opened in China on July 11 and has quickly become a box‑office hit, earning more than 1.2 billion yuan (about $74 million) within two weeks. The film is currently in exclusive theatrical release worldwide, with plans for a later North American rollout and eventual streaming on Paramount+, though no Netflix streaming is available.

The movie has sparked controversy in South Korea after depicting a fictional Korean women's football team in stereotypical and “lookist” terms. Critics, including university professor Seo Kyoung‑duk, argue the portrayal disparages the Korean women’s national team and fuels harmful stereotypes. The backlash has led to calls for a boycott and demands that the contentious scenes be corrected before the film’s international release.

Both the commercial success in China and the diplomatic criticism from South Korea have placed the film at the center of a cultural debate across East Asia.