A scene from “Mulan” by Walt Disney Co. Korea.
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Walt Disney’s live action film “Mulan” is facing the risk of boycott even before its release in South Korea after the movie sparked controversy for justifying China’s human rights violation against the ethnic minority Uyghurs.
The hashtags #BoycottMulan and #BanMulan have gone viral on Twitter and other social media platforms.
Last year, the film fell under severe criticism after its lead actress Liu Yifei expressed support for the Hong Kong Police force, who were accused of using excessive force against protestors and journalists during the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong.
After months of delay due to the novel coronavirus, the film premiered on Walt Disney’s over-the-top video streaming service Disney Plus early this month, rekindling sparks of controversy after the credits explicitly thanked the publicity department of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Communist Party Committee.
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the movie was shot, is well known for the human rights violations perpetrated against the Uyghurs, placing them under arbitrary imprisonment in so-called ‘re-education detention centers’.
Many civil rights organizations are leading a movement to boycott the movie.
“South Korea takes pride in having achieved democracy in Asia,” said Prof. Lee Taek-kwang from Kyung Hee University.
“The younger generations, who accept liberal values as a social norm, are more likely to join the boycott movement to stand with the protestors in Hong Kong.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
It’s good to be more creative in the live-action version but they cut all the best things in the animated Mulan. Mulan and her friends didn’t fight together, and the scene when Mulan came back and met her father, he hugged her and said he’s grateful that she came back safely. I feel so sad.