South Koreans sour on China ahead of Wang Yi visit

Growing anti-Beijing sentiment adds wrinkle to already complicated relationship

A man walks past a poster for the movie "Sacrifice," which is about China's entry into the Korean War to fight alongside North Korea against the U.S., in Beijing on October 22, 2020. © AFP/Jiji

STEVEN BOROWIEC, Contributing writer

September 13, 2021 12:00 JST

SEOUL -- "The Sacrifice," a Chinese movie, takes place during one of the tensest phases of the Korean War, telling the story of Chinese soldiers working to repair a bridge while under fire from South Korean and U.S. troops.

The movie was a huge hit in China upon its 2020 release, but spurred a far different reaction this week ahead of its planned release on streaming platforms in South Korea. Politicians and netizens expressed anger that the movie was permitted for screening in the country, as it depicts a battle that resulted in thousands of South Korean casualties.