[The Editors' Verdict] Anti-China Sentiment: Understanding and Concerns

The Ministry of Justice's amendment to the Nationality Act has sparked controversy. The amendment, announced for legislative notice on April 26, centers on granting Korean nationality to children born in Korea to permanent residents, that is, those who have stayed in Korea for two generations. If the amendment passes, approximately 3,930 people will newly acquire nationality. The targets for nationality acquisition include permanent residents such as ethnic Chinese who have lived in Korea for two or three generations and were born domestically.

The immediate target is less than one ten-thousandth of the 50 million population. However, just two days after the amendment was proposed, on April 28, a petition titled "We strongly oppose the legislative amendment to the Nationality Act" ignited the controversy. The petitioner argued that "the Republic of Korea will preserve the identity of our Korean ethnicity through the tradition of jus sanguinis," "we do not want foreigners to assimilate into Korea, dilute our culture, and live together as Koreans," and "we will strive to firmly protect the bonds and identity of the Korean people from external infiltration." Although opinions seemed divided, political circles joined the public opinion battle, and online anti-China sentiment was fueled with comments such as "We could become a vassal state of China" and "It might become Junghanminguk (中韓民國)." The petition, which closed on April 28, garnered 317,013 supporters.

The Ministry of Justice attempted to clarify and mitigate concerns by explaining that △ it is not abandoning jus sanguinis, △ the proportion of a specific country (China) will be reduced over time, and △ all duties as citizens will be borne, but these efforts were insufficient. Above all, the timing of the amendment's promotion, the public hearing composed only of panels in favor, and inadequate explanations combined to produce this result.

The "Korea-China Cultural Town," a project jointly promoted by a domestic conglomerate and Chinese parties in Gangwon Province, was withdrawn in April after 670,000 people signed a petition. The project proponents envisioned a themed tourist complex combining popular cultural elements from Korea and China, differentiated from places like Jeju Island's Shinhwa World, Gyeonggi Province's Petite France, Chungnam's Mediterranean Village, Gyeonggi's Mongolian Cultural Village, and Gyeongnam's German Village.

However, trapped in the "Chinatown" frame, opposition surged with phrases like "a small China in the Republic of Korea" and "Chinafication of Gangwon Province." Although participating organizations stated that it was a misunderstanding to call it a Chinatown, this could not overcome the anti-China sentiment. Even now, posts demanding the suspension or withdrawal of domestic projects related to China continue to appear on the Blue House petition board.

It appears that anti-China sentiment is intensifying. According to a public opinion survey released in April by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA), a U.S. think tank (survey conducted by Korea Research), the average favorability rating of China among Koreans (on a scale of 0 to 10) was 3.6 points. This was similar to North Korea (3.5 points) and Japan (3.7 points), and even lower than the United States (6.4 points). In the same survey in 2019, the favorability toward China was 4.8 points, showing a significant decline over two years. Regarding security, only 12% viewed China as a partner, while 83% saw it as a security threat. Economically, 60% considered China an economic threat, surpassing the 37% who saw it as an economic partner.

Anti-China sentiment is not unique to Korea. Around the world, disputes with China over various issues are increasing, and anti-China sentiment is spreading. China's attempts to exert influence globally through initiatives like the Belt and Road, the China Dream, and the Northeast Project, which even distort history, correlate with the rise of anti-China sentiment. Above all, China bears significant responsibility. Our task is to ensure that anti-China sentiment does not escalate into extreme nationalism, chauvinism, totalitarianism, or discrimination and hatred toward immigrants, foreigners, and minorities. The words of a former lawmaker, "I do not want to live as the same Korean citizen mixed with ethnic Chinese," though harsh and exaggerated, feel frighteningly resonant. ? Lee Kyung-ho, Head of Social Affairs Department

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