Kimchi wars latest: Chinese internet cancels food live-streamer from South Korea for liking online comment about China appropriating the iconic dish
- YouTuber Hamzy apologises for adding a thumbs-up to comments online about China claiming kimchi as its own, which Chinese internet users took as an insult
- The origin of the fermented cabbage dish is a hot-button issue between China and South Korea, as Chinese celebrity vlogger Li Ziqi found out last week
A South Korean internet star who live-streams herself binge-eating various foods – a phenomenon known as mukbang – is in hot water amid an online dispute over whether kimchi is Korean or Chinese.
The YouTuber, who goes by the name Hamzy, found herself caught in the crossfire of this cultural clash when she added a thumbs-up emoji to comments online about China claiming Korean kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish, as its own.
Chinese internet users said she had insulted China by showing her approval for what were seen as anti-China comments.
Shanghai-based company Suxian Advertising, which runs Hamzy’s video accounts and online shop in China, was quoted as saying it planned to terminate its contract with her, shut down her online shop on Taobao, an e-commerce portal, and delete her videos. (Taobao is operated by Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post.)
If I offended anyone unintentionally or made you feel unpleasant, I apologise sincerely here. I really respect Chinese culinary culture, I hope everybody can sense that
“We are firmly against any action that insults China and do not allow any foreign bloggers we signed contracts with to have any attitude or comments that insult China,” Suxian was quoted as saying in an online notice. The Post has not independently verified the notice.