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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Raphael Rashid in Seoul

‘The fear of being labelled feminist is real’: Barbie movie flops in South Korea

Barbie South Korea Chung SungJun Greta Gerwig Margot Robbie
Barbie actor Margot Robbie attends the film’s premiere in Seoul on 2 July. The movie struggled to attract big audiences in South Korea.
Barbie actor Margot Robbie attends the film’s premiere in Seoul on 2 July. The movie struggled to attract big audiences in South Korea. Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

While Barbie continues to achieve box office success around the world, the film’s performance in South Korea has been lacklustre, with critics and activists citing a reluctance to embrace a feminist-themed foreign movie.

Barbie sold just over 460,000 tickets between 19 July, when it hit screens locally, according to the Korean Film Council. The film’s opening weekend received only an 8% share of total box office revenue and just 3.9% for the second weekend.

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