Oxford (toy company)

[2] It also has several themes related to Korean history and cultural heritage sets: Ancient Three Kingdoms with a focus on the Gwanggaeto the Great era, 16th-century Japanese invasions of Korea, modern 19th-century era as well as sets representing events in modern 20th- and 21st-century Korean history.

Sets related to American military and the Korean War have also been manufactured in toy form, such as the Sherman tank or the USS Missouri battleship.

[2][6][11][5] The company also has a wide array of often licensed themed sets related to Korean films, dramas, and TV shows (Infinite Challenge, Joint Security Area, Kingdom, Mr. Sunshine, Real Man),[2][11] or Korean or international companies and franchises (e.g. 7-Eleven,[2] Disney,[12] Doraemon,[13] Gaspard and Lisa,[14] Gwangju FC,[2] Hancom,[15] Hello Kitty,[6] Hyundai Department Store,[2] Jeju International Airport,[2] Kia Motors,[2] Korail,[16] Korean Air,[2] Krispy Kreme,[2][6] Kumho Tire,[2] MapleStory,[17] MBC TV,[2] Miffy,[18] Nongshim,[19] Ocean World,[2] Outback Steakhouse,[2] Peter Rabbit,[20] Pororo,[21] Samsung,[22] SM Entertainment,[2] Thomas the Tank Engine[23]).

Some related sets contain product placements (for example, for the Kia Soul car or Korean Ediya Coffee shop chain).

About half of the Oxford set themes have been described as "conflict toys" focusing on "war and danger" and are seen as marketed at boys.

[2] Oxford mini figurines have also been considered to display "orientalist and racialist stereotype," with Western characters being "pinkish" and Asians more "yellowish" in color.

[2] They have also been criticized for xenophobic attitudes, with criminal minifigurines implied to be Westerners or ethnic minorities (e.g., Chinese Koreans).

[2] Benjamin Joinau critically observed that Oxford sets "foster a structured ideological narrative which is globally conservative and even nationalist, mirroring a strong anti-Japanese agenda with occasional stances on American and Western powers as well as a diffuse xenophobic orientation" and that they "reproduce Korean mainstream gender politics by producing gender stereotypical scripts which not only assign and reinforce traditional gender roles, but also constrain little girls to subaltern positions".