The South Korean men's and women's football teams are experiencing violence from China during the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup).

The men's team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, dominated China 3-0 in the first match of the tournament held at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 7th. The highlight of the game was Lee Dong-gyeong's spectacular goal at the 8th minute of the first half. After evading a defender on the right side of the box, his curled shot accurately found the back of the net, slipping past the fingertips of the Chinese goalkeeper.

However, China focused more on rough physical confrontations than on fair competition. In the 34th minute of the first half, Gao Tianyi committed a dangerous foul by deliberately stepping on Lee Dong-gyeong's foot near the sideline. It was a clear red card situation, but the game, which did not have VAR, concluded with just a warning from the referee. This meant that the dismissive behavior was not properly sanctioned.

Such aggressive play also affected the women's team match. The women's team, led by head coach Shin Sang-woo, recorded a 2-2 draw against China in the first match held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 9th. While the game was saved from defeat by Ji So-yun's dramatic equalizer during stoppage time in the second half, the incidents of injury threats during the match became a bigger issue.

In the 38th minute of the first half, while competing for an aerial ball, Ji So-yun attempted a header when China's Liu Jing struck her chest with a foot exposed with studs. It was a dangerous action that raised concerns about a serious injury, but this incident also ended with just a warning. Ji So-yun avoided a serious injury, but the moment remained the most shocking scene of the match.

The repeated aggressive play by Chinese players and the absence of VAR are seriously threatening the fairness and safety of the entire tournament beyond just the men's and women's teams.

After the match, the Chinese media made rather absurd claims. Sohu.com reported, "China had fewer fouls than Korea, and just before the end of the match, they showed sportsmanship by conceding an out ball to Korea," evaluating their performance. However, the reality was quite the opposite. There were far more threatening plays than the statistics suggested, prominently highlighted in a situation where the system for player protection was not functioning.

Of course, they did point out the clear issues regarding violent behavior.

Sohu.com stated, "The Chinese women's team remained unbeaten against Korea in their last 6 matches. The men's team lost 3-0 to Korea in the East Asian Cup, and the recent under-16 team also lost to Korea. China hoped that the women's team could redeem themselves against Korea. Although China scored the opening goal against Korea, they seemed to lose their composure afterward," referencing the incident where Ji So-yun was struck during the match against China.

It continued, "The Chinese women's team, inheriting the spirit of Shaolin, kicked the chest of the opposing player during the match. Liu Jing displayed the spirit of Shaolin football by kicking Ji So-yun in the chest. Liu Jing received a warning. If the referee had not shown mercy, China would have played with one player down," condemning the violent play of the Chinese women's team.

Japanese media also expressed anger regarding the so-called "Shaolin football" of China. Higashi Web in Japan strongly criticized, "China disrupted the flow of the match with excessively rough tackles against Korea and even threatened the living legend Ji So-yun." It added, "In such a situation, Japanese players are also inevitably exposed to the risk of injury. The absence of VAR in this tournament is a critical mistake," pointing out the flaws.

Currently, the Chinese teams, both men's and women's, are gaining more attention for their rough play rather than their performance, and there is an increasing call for action from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regarding this issue.

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