August 30, 2023 — The film Barbie has achieved remarkable success at the global box office. However, there have been discussions in some Asian countries about potentially banning the movie. The Vietnamese authorities imposed a complete ban on the film due to the inclusion of a map supporting China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea. A similar scenario unfolded in the Philippines, where the government requested that the map be digitally blurred before permitting the film to be screened in the country. But it’s not just about geopolitics. Many of the themes found in the movie have sparked discussions and criticism across the region, raising questions about gender, equality, and the empowerment of women.

The film managed to achieve substantial success in China, where Chinese feminists embraced it as a counterbalance to the male-centric patriotic action movies that dominate the Chinese box office. In Korea, however, Barbie fared far worse and saw a disappointing performance at the box office. Scholars and critics argue this setback is linked to surrounding gender inequality issues and a resistance to feminist perspectives within the country. Given that Korean feminism tends to align more closely with radical feminism than liberal feminism, one could posit that a degree of unfavorable sentiment exists towards feminist concepts or feminism in its entirety. However, immediately attributing Barbie’s underperformance at the Korean box office solely to feminism is a stance that lacks thorough substantiation. On the contrary, female-centric content in Korea has demonstrated success, as evident from the impressive achievements of girl groups in the K-pop scene. Hence, the assertions linking Barbie's failure to feminism appear to carry a subtle undertone of ethnocentrism. More importantly, we can observe the challenges faced by certain Korean viewers in comprehending and assimilating the themes presented in particular foreign films. In this instance, Barbie serves as an example, stirring numerous conversations centered around themes of female empowerment.

Barbie, as a case in point, deviates from the realm of conventional toys or subjects of media discourse for children in Korea. As a result, the sentimental attachment to Barbie remains limited within these cultural boundaries. This cultural disparity alone can be exemplified as a reason for the film's underwhelming performance, shedding light on how the acceptance of foreign films or the perception of feminism in Korea significantly diverges from prevailing Western paradigms.

It's important to bear in mind that the willingness to embrace foreign concepts, whether they pertain to feminist humor or Western ideologies, is significantly impacted by a nation's stance on the matter and the current political climate. These sentiments highlight the gray area in which many viewers perceive the themes presented in ‘Barbie’ as distinctly unfamiliar or uncomfortable. While this aspect certainly has political implications, it’s also essential to acknowledge that these reactions stem from cultural disparities and how the younger generation identifies with those cultural nuances.

With that in mind, the underperformance of Barbie at the Korean box office should not be solely attributed to a focus on Korea's Confucian patriarchy or its radical feminist movement. Instead, it should be comprehended through the lens of the themes and subjects that resonate with the Korean audience—what they find captivating, relatable, or entertaining. Various Asian nations have their own unique reasons for either embracing or banning foreign movies such as Barbie. In any case, a more scholarly approach involves addressing this matter from multifaceted perspectives, including cultural, generational, and political dimensions, rather than attributing the reluctance towards foreign elements solely to a specific movement such as Korean feminism.

About the Author

Ms. Amy Suna Kim, Program Coordinator

Amy Suna Kim recently graduated with a master’s degree in International Studies from the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University. Before this, Amy lived in the U.S., where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Religion at Cornell College. Amy is not new to Asia Society. Previously, she assisted our colleagues at Asia Society Philippines as a program management intern. Amy will be responsible for brainstorming new ideas for upcoming projects and raising the visibility of Asia Society Korea across various audiences. She is fluent in both English and Korean.