According to Korean newspaper The Dong-a IIbo (don’t laugh), the gamers of South Korea are disappointed with the first ever appearance of a South Korean World Warrior. It’s not so much a problem with Juri herself, but with her stage. Apparently it doesn’t look Korean enough.
The South Korean stage in Super Street Fighter IV is said to resemble China more than South Korea, or at least some crazy mixture of both countries. The clothing of the background characters and the writing on the street signs are both Chinese (although South Korea does use Chinese writing). The stage has also been criticized for a lack of skyscrapers, which are a huge part of the South Korean landscape, and the rather outdated and obsolete representation of market vendors.
Street Fighter hasn’t exactly been known for its sensitive portrayal of foreign lands. The India stage of Street Fighter II is hilarious in its borderline offensive stereotyping, and the original China stage isn’t much better. Super Street Fighter IV‘s South Korea may not look like South Korea, but the fact Capcom got it wrong is a series tradition if you ask me.
South Korean Criticism of Super Street Fighter IV Korean Stage [Kotaku]
