Screenshot of the movie poster of Fly, Skating Star.

 
A South Korean professor on Friday said he had complained with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as he thought a recently released Chinese online movie seriously damaged the reputation of South Korean short-track speed skaters as it showed South Korean skaters running into and hurting Chinese competitors.  

Seo Kyoung-duk, professor at Sungshin Women's University, said on Facebook on Friday that he had sent an email to IOC Chairman Thomas Bach and all the IOC committee members worldwide (excluding the South Korean side) about this.

Seo also said that he asked the IOC to warn Beijing and the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee over the issue. 

The Global Times found that the movie, named Fly, Skating Star, was released on Chinese video platform iQIYI on February 12. It tells the story of leading characters Cheng Huan, a skating genius, and Shen Bingxin, a short track speed skater. 

In the climax of the movie, Cheng and Shen attend an Asian competition to qualify for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. At the beginning of the competition, they had an apparent advantage over the South Korean skaters, but the latter accidently run into them later, leading to Chen falling and getting hurt.

Despite the accident, Chen and Shen continued the competition and finally claimed the top spots. 

Seo's post soon became a hot topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo as it closely followed controversial penalties for South Korean short track speed skaters at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, which had been used by some South Korean politicians to hype hatred against China.  

Chinese netizens said that clash, falling and fouls are common in short track speed skating. The plot is just an artistic expression of the fierce competition of the sport, and Seo does not have to be so angry, they said.

Some others pointed out that China and South Korea are two main powers in Asian sport and have competed with each other for many years in the area. Accidents similar to the plot have actually happened, so it is nothing to be surprised about in such a movie.   

In December 2010, at the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Shanghai, South Korean Kim Byong-joon forcibly overtook Chinese player Han Jialiang, leading to an accident that brought them both down and causing injuries.  

in a more recent example at a competition on February 13, the ice skate of South Korean skater Hwang Dae-heong nearly hit the face of Chinese skater Wu Dajing when the former accidently fell. 
 
Some other Chinese netizens said it is nothing but a new trick by Seo, who is famous on Chinese social media platforms for constantly trying to catch public attention and making trouble between Chinese and South Korean netizens by hyping China-related issues.  

In a previous case in October, 2021, Seo published critical comments on Instagram indicating that a popular Chinese sportswear design had "copied" the costumes from South Korea's hit drama Squid Game, which were "obviously incorrect" remarks, Chinese experts said, adding that they could cast a "negative influence" on China and its relations with South Korea. 

Amid the controversy over the short track speed skating at the Beijing 2022, Chinese and South Korean authorities have called for strengthened exchanges to defuse the confrontational sentiment of some netizens. Experts pointed out that some South Korean politicians should stop their irrational hyping of anti-China sentiment and take more positive actions to promote relations as the two countries are embracing the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations this year.