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Young Koreans boycott Disney movie 'Mulan'

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Young Korean activists hold #Boycott Mulan banner during a press conference to boycott Disney's upcoming film
Young Korean activists hold #Boycott Mulan banner during a press conference to boycott Disney's upcoming film "Mulan." Joining the movement initiated by Hong Kong citizens, they protested in front of Disney Korea in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Students accuse 'Mulan' cast of siding with state-sponsored violence' on Hong Kong democracy protestors

By Park Ji-won

About a dozen university students and others gathered in front of the headquarters of Disney Korea in southern Seoul to announce their joining of the #BoycottMulan movement protest. The Disney film "Mulan" starring Chinese American actress Crystal Liu Yifei, who came under fire for defending the repressive police who are cracking down on Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors, is scheduled to hit local theaters in August.

The organization consisting of 12 civic and student groups chanted, "We don't consume violence. We oppose the release of Mulan. Stop the violence" and "We denounce the Hong Kong national security law as it is a violation of human rights."

Stressing that the security law is a flagrant dismissal of human rights and the Chinese government has been oppressing Hong Kong's citizens with police brutality, the group criticized the company's lukewarm reaction to remarks from the cast including Liu, who justified the violence by siding with the Xi Jinping government against protesters. They said the actress is not suitable to portray the heroin character.

"Disney held an unequivocal position about opinionated actors working for their films. In the past, it has insisted some actors apologize for making misogynistic remarks. But for the remarks of Mulan stars Crystal Liu Yifei and Donnie Yen, who backed the violent Hong Kong police force and the passage of the national security law, it didn't take any measures. It is a double standard and hurts the democratic movement," Park Do-hyoung, co-leader of the Declaration of Global Citizen in Korea, told The Korea Times.

"Disney picked Liu Yifei for the lead role of Mulan to depict a woman who overcame discrimination against her. But she just backed the violence imposed against Hong Kong citizens, which is unacceptable," Park added.

The Chinese American actress had stirred controversy last year after showing her support for the Hong Kong police on her social media account when the clashes between police and the people of Hong Kong reached its peak. Donnie Yen also backed the Chinese government and the passage of the law.

A screen capture from Weibo of Crystal Liu Yifei Korea Times file
A screen capture from Weibo of Crystal Liu Yifei Korea Times file
In August, Liu wrote on her Weibo account that "I support Hong Kong Police. What a shame for Hong Kong" in English and "I also support Hong Kong police" and "You guys can beat me" in Chinese.

The democracy protests in Hong Kong divided people in show business. Cantonese pop diva Denise Ho has taken the lead role in the popular protest against the Chinese government. She travelled the world and gave interviews to mainstream media to raise awareness of democracy in Hong Kong in peril. Her active participation in the pro-Hong Kong rallies dealt a blow to her career as she has been effectively banned from the lucrative mainstream Chinese market.

But Ho is just one of a very small group of celebrities vocal against China. Most celebrities turned their back on the protestors, supporting the police who brutally cracked down on the protestors. Crystal Liu Yefei is one of the celebrities who sided with the repressive Chinese government.

However, the Mulan actress' attitudes have drawn the ire of some groups in Korea.

Korean students and activists joined hands to boycott the Disney film starring the controversial actress. They urged a ban on distribution and screening of "Mulan," describing it as a movie that justified state-sponsored violence on democracy protestors.

"We demand an apology from Disney for keeping silent about Crystal Liu Yifei and Donnie Yen. We also ask you to cancel the release of Mulan. Otherwise, we will take actions to continue the boycott," Lee Seo-lla, co-leader of the Declaration of Global Citizen in Korea, said during a press conference held on the sidelines of the protest in Seoul, Thursday.

The group tried to meet Disney officials to hand over their letter of complaint, but they were blocked at the entrance of the headquarters with security concerns cited by the company. Disney was also not available to further comment on the issue.

Solidarity with Hong Kong citizens

The protest came only a day after the Hong Kong Security legislation was passed. While the Korean government did not openly back the passage of the law, it insisted on respecting the 1984 declaration between China and Britain. Some considered this stance a form of silent support and in effect complicity on the part of the Korean government.

Also, the protest came after a number of Korean people, especially young Koreans, carried out activities to show solidarity with the people of Hong Kong, with the shared understanding that it is important to protect democracy in the region.

Since August last year, the hashtag "#BoycottMulan" has been spreading across the internet since Hong Kong was in the middle of the massive pro-democracy protests. Some university students have created "Lennon Walls" in their schools to express support for the movement in Hong Kong. The walls are a place for people to put colorful sticky notes with messages of solidarity. Some civic organizations have also held street rallies urging the Chinese government to stop its oppressive moves.

A member from a collective of civic organizations determined to boycott Disney's upcoming film
A member from a collective of civic organizations determined to boycott Disney's upcoming film "Mulan" puts a sticky note on a "Lennon Wall" to show solidarity with Hong Kong citizens in front of the animation company's Korea headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

A group of civic organizations hold a press conference to show their determination to boycott Disney's upcoming film
A group of civic organizations hold a press conference to show their determination to boycott Disney's upcoming film "Mulan" and show solidarity with Hong Kong citizens in front of the animation company's Korea headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

However, it is largely expected that the company and film distributors will push ahead with the release as planned as there is no precedent for canceling any of Disney's films despite protests. The release of the film has been delayed due to the coronavirus spread, but it is set to hit theaters in August or September, according to the company.



Park Ji-won jwpark@koreatimes.co.kr


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