India, July 19 -- Chinese actor and director Stephen Chow's latest film. Kung Fu Soccer, has landed in controversy over its negative depiction of the Korean women's football team. The film, which is a spin-off of Chow's 2001 hit Shaolin Soccer, is an action-comedy that follows a group of martial arts-trained women who come together to form a football team. In the film, which premiered in China on July 11, the Korean women's team, "Ewha", widely seen as a reference to Seoul's Ewha Womans University, is portrayed as appearance-obsessed, violent and dishonest. This has drawn criticism, with many saying that it insults not only Korean women but also Korean sports. "No matter how fictional a movie may be, it is wrong to repeatedly insult Korean sports," said Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Seoul's Sungshin Women's University and a civic activist, as per the Korean Times. Seo added that the film depicts the Korean team as using underhanded tactics and cheating, while placing greater emphasis on appearance than athletic skill. "Although the film presents itself as a low-budget comedy, it even inserted awkward Korean dialogue that only invites ridicule," he added. Seo also cited the 2022 Chinese short-track skating film, Fly! Light on the Ice, which was released during the Beijing Winter Olympics and portrayed Korean athletes as habitual cheaters. He also called on the filmmakers to address the controversial portrayal before Kung Fu Soccer is released internationally in August.htc...