Appearance of traditional dress denounced as further attempt by China to appropriate Korean culture
China and South Korea have become embroiled in a cultural appropriation row after a woman appeared at the opening ceremony of the Beijing winter Olympics wearing traditional Korean dress.
The Chinese embassy in Seoul defended the decision to include a participant wearing hanbok, describing her as a representative of the country’s dozens of ethnic groups.
Her appearance sparked anger among many South Koreans, who denounced it as another attempt by China to claim parts of Korean culture – including its national dish, kimchi – as its own.
The embassy described the woman as a member of the joseonjok – an ethnic minority with roots in Korea – who took part in the Games’ opening ceremony among more than 50 other representatives of ethnic groups in China.
“It is their desire and right for representatives of each ethnic group in China to attend an international sports competition and the major national event of the Beijing Winter Olympics, wearing their traditional costumes,” an embassy spokesperson said in a statement, according to the Yonhap news agency.
The spokesperson said China “respected” Korean historical and cultural traditions, and called on South Koreans to “respect the emotions” of China’s ethnic minorities.
China is home to about 2 million ethnic Koreans, half of whom live on the Chinese side of the North Korean border. They are a recognised minority group whose language and culture are granted official protection.
The embassy’s explanation is unlikely to quell anger in South Korea, where politicians said that the incident could fuel anti-Chinese sentiment.
Lee Jae-myung, who is running in March’s presidential election for the ruling Democratic party, wrote on Facebook: “Do not covet (our) culture. Oppose cultural appropriation.”
Lee So-young, a Democratic party MP, said: “This is not the first time China has introduced Korean culture as if it were its own. If the anti-China sentiment of the Korean people becomes stronger by leaving this issue as is, it will be a big obstacle when conducting diplomacy with China in the future.”
Relations between the two countries soured in 2017 after South Korea approved the deployment of a US missile defence system to deter threats from North Korea.
China, however, said the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) deployment would upset the regional security balance as it could be used to penetrate its own territory.
China banned groups traveling to South Korea – a popular destination for Chinese tourists – and shuttered dozens of stores operated by the South Korean supermarket chain Lotte Mart over supposed fire safety violations. Lotte Mart exited the Chinese market the following year.
-Theguardian
