Is hanbok this year’s kimchi? China denies cultural appropriation over Korean dress at Olympics
- There was criticism after a woman in a hanbok helped carry the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony, with South Korean presidential candidates weighing in
- Chinese embassy says Koreans in China share the Korean peninsula’s culture and China respects its traditions
“The Korean people of China and the Korean peninsula share the same origin and have a common traditional culture, including costumes,” an embassy statement said. “These traditional cultures belong to both the peninsula and the Korean people of China, and claims of … cultural appropriation are totally untenable.
“China respects the historical and cultural traditions of the Republic of Korea and hopes that the ROK will also respect the feelings of the Chinese people of all nationalities, including the Korean people.”
A woman in a white and purple hanbok dress was among the performers representing China’s ethnic groups who carried the Chinese flag during Friday’s ceremony at Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium.
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Kimchi, the latest cultural feud between South Korea and China
South Koreans expressed anger on social media, saying it was a continuation of China’s efforts to appropriate important aspects of Korean culture, including kimchi, a side dish of spicy, fermented cabbage.
Politicians in South Korea soon weighed in. Hours after the opening ceremony, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said on Facebook that China should “not covet the culture [of others]”.