Withdrawal of Hanjung Cultural Town and Criticism of Han Ye-ri in Red Dress... Intensifying Anti-China Sentiment

Anti-China Sentiment Spreading Across Politics, Culture, and Society
Gangwon-do Finally Withdraws Controversial 'Han-Jung Munhwa Town'
Actor in 'Red Dress' Faces Flood of Criticism Saying "Chinese Style" "Is It a Qipao?"
Experts Say "Critical Thinking Needed but Excessive Hatred Is Concerning"

Photo by Yonhap News Agency, Louis Vuitton

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Ju-hee] Recently, domestic anti-China sentiment has intensified due to the so-called 'Cultural Northeast Project' controversy in China. The 'Korea-China Cultural Town' project promoted by Gangwon Province has been effectively scrapped amid strong public opposition, and anti-China sentiment is influencing various fields including society, politics, and culture, as seen in the cancellation of a drama that sparked controversy with Chinese-style props and costumes.

However, some voices express concern that this sentiment is leading to indiscriminate hatred or criticism toward Chinese people. Experts emphasize the need for critical thinking in cultural exchanges with China but express worries about baseless criticism.

Previously, the Korea-China Cultural Town project, which Gangwon Province was promoting in the Chuncheon and Hongcheon areas, has effectively entered a scrapping process due to fierce public backlash. The project operator, Kolon Global, stated in an official statement on the 26th, "The company recognizes that it is no longer possible to proceed with the Korea-China Cultural Town project and will fully reconsider the project plan, even at the cost of significant losses in time and financial investment."

Initially, Gangwon Province planned to create a K-Pop museum and media art themed around Korean and Chinese cultures, incorporating information and communication technology. However, as controversies over the Northeast Project, which attempts to incorporate Korea's unique assets such as kimchi and hanbok into China, continued to arise, public calls to oppose the project surged.

A petition titled "Please withdraw the construction of the Gangwon Chinatown," posted on the Blue House's public petition board on the 29th of last month, garnered over 670,000 signatures. This is more than three times the 200,000 signatures required for an official response from the Blue House.

Incheon Chinatown. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

However, some voices express concern over unconditional criticism toward China. While it is wrong to claim Korean culture as Chinese culture, indiscriminate baseless criticism can lead to hatred.

Recently, posts criticizing or inciting hatred against Chinese people have been easily found on online communities and social networking services (SNS). Comments harshly criticizing Chinese people, such as "walking cockroaches," "I wish they would just disappear," and "Whenever I see noisy people on the street, they are all Chinese," flooded articles related to China.

Anti-China sentiment also surfaced on the 26th at the U.S. Academy Awards regarding the outfit worn by actress Han Ye-ri, who starred in the film "Minari." Han Ye-ri attended the ceremony wearing a red dress made by the French brand Louis Vuitton, which was criticized for resembling the Chinese traditional dress, the qipao.

Netizens responded with a flood of criticism, saying things like, "Why wear Chinese clothing in such times?", "They turned the pride of our country into the pride of China. Who was the stylist?", "It's a regrettable outfit choice on such a joyous day," and "It would have been better if she had worn hanbok on this day."

A petition titled "Please Withdraw the Construction of Chinatown in Gangwon-do" posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 29th of last month. Photo by Blue House Board Capture

Hateful remarks toward China also appeared in the political arena. On the 12th, former People Power Party Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok posted a critical comment on Facebook about the Korea-China Cultural Town project, stating, "In cities worldwide, Chinatowns are generally perceived as low-grade residential and commercial areas where Chinese people gather. The security is relatively poor, and they are not considered good neighborhoods."

This sparked criticism that it is inappropriate for a politician to make remarks that could incite hatred by describing areas where Chinese people live as "low-grade residential areas" and "places with poor security."

Park, a 20-something office worker, said, "Even if there is a negative perception of China, it is a big problem that hateful remarks are made casually in spaces where many people can see them, and that such remarks come from a politician who can exert social influence." He added, "China's Northeast Project is wrong and should be criticized, but such disparagement is not right."

Another office worker, Kim (34), said, "It would be good if criticism of China's cultural distortion were conducted as legitimate criticism, but there are people who hate Chinese style with all their passion. I was displeased to see debates over an actress's outfit on a national celebratory occasion like the Academy Awards."

Experts emphasize the need for critical thinking in cultural exchanges with China but express concern about baseless criticism. Cultural critic Jung Deok-hyun explained, "The fundamental cause of anti-China sentiment can be seen as originating from China. Since they claim our history and culture as theirs and act systematically at the government level, the public cannot help but feel uneasy."

However, critic Jung added, "If asked whether we should cut off all relations with China and enter a confrontational stance or completely sever ties, that is neither appropriate nor possible. A detailed approach is necessary in cultural exchanges with China. If there are problems in the process, it is necessary to examine which parts are problematic and whether there are aspects that misrepresent our culture. There are concerning aspects in the way this leads to indiscriminate hatred or criticism."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.