Controversy Over Hanbok at China Olympic Opening Ceremony... Presidential Candidates Unite in Criticism

Lee "Opposes Cultural Engineering"... Yoon "Goguryeo and Balhae Are Not Others' Heritage"
Ahn Cheol-soo "Not Hanfu but Hanbok"

'Hanbok' Appearing at the Olympic Opening Ceremony
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] Political circles continue to voice criticism regarding the depiction of a woman wearing hanbok as a 'Chinese ethnic minority' at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Presidential candidates from both ruling and opposition parties have also escalated their remarks sharply.

On the 5th, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, visiting Changwon Hyundai Rotem, said, "Although it is a festive period, the Chinese government must answer concerns from some quarters that this festival time is being used as a time for cultural engineering." He added, "In that context, I conveyed my determination against cultural engineering and our collective view that it is unacceptable." Earlier, Lee also posted on Facebook, "Do not covet culture. Oppose cultural engineering."

Lee further pointed out, "The Chinese government has previously damaged the pride of the Korean people through historical engineering," and "Even after that, they have allowed illegal fishing boats to remain on the East and West coasts, provoking the anger of Korean citizens, especially fishermen."

Lee Soyoung, a member of the Democratic Party’s election campaign spokesperson team, expressed deep regret over China's reckless cultural engineering on social media. She wrote, "China’s Northeast Project and cultural engineering, which flare up frequently, have never been resolved and have accumulated over time," adding, "Protecting our culture is as important as pursuing practical diplomacy. We cannot remain silent while such blatant cultural engineering is being carried out."

Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party candidate, after visiting Gangjeong Village in Jeju on the same day, told reporters, "Goguryeo and Balhae are proud and brilliant parts of Korea’s history," emphasizing, "They are not someone else’s."

In particular, members of the People Power Party’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee issued a statement strongly condemning the actions. Chairman Lee Chae-ik and six others said, "At the start of the opening ceremony, the screen and promotional video labeled the Lunar New Year as 'Chinese New Year' and introduced the Korean ethnic group in Jilin, China, showing scenes of spinning sangmo and playing janggu drums." They stressed, "These acts are clear cultural invasions by China, and we strongly condemn the Chinese government and express strong regret to the IOC." They also criticized Speaker Park Byeong-seug and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee, saying, "The bigger problem is that officials from the current government and ruling party witnessed China’s 'excessive' Northeast Project on site but did nothing and stood by."

Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party presidential candidate, also joined the criticism via his social media, stating, "Hanbok is Korean culture," and addressing Chinese authorities, "It is hanbok, not hanfu (漢服)."

Meanwhile, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics the previous day, a woman wearing hanbok appeared as one of the representatives of the 56 ethnic groups in China, carrying the Chinese five-star red flag. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee, who attended the ceremony, said, "The Chinese side said that the Joseonjok are one of the ethnic minorities, but this could cause misunderstandings in bilateral relations," adding, "On the other hand, it can be seen as our culture spreading widely," which sparked controversy.

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