Japan: "Korean Tourists Only Eat Cheap Food"... Seogyeongdeok Says "Big Inferiority Complex"

Professor Seo, "Seems Jealous of K-Content Development"
Describes It as the Most Developed Popular Culture Experience

A Japanese far-right figure made an absurd complaint on the 21st about Korean tourists visiting Japan, to which Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women's University responded by saying it was "a sign of great inferiority complex."

On the 27th, Professor Seokyung Deok posted on the social networking service (SNS) Facebook, "After reading the overall article, it seems that the 'inferiority complex' toward Korea is very strong," adding, "These days, as K-content is doing well worldwide, people around the world are paying more attention to Korea than Japan, which must have caused a lot of jealousy."

He continued, "Travel is about experiencing the real life of the people in that country, that is, experiencing popular culture," and questioned, "Since convenience store culture is so developed in Japan, does experiencing convenience store food mean a cheap trip?"

Lunchbox photo. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

He then pointed out, "This statement is tantamount to you yourself belittling Japan's representative popular culture (convenience store culture) as cheap."

Professor Seokyung Deok sharply criticized, "Just because Korean tourists spend little money when visiting Japan, it only looks like begging, asking them to spend more money by eating local specialties in the future," and emphasized, "If you want your culture in Japan to be respected, you must first learn to respect the cultures of other countries. As human beings, shouldn't we live by basic manners?"

Meanwhile, Japanese far-right figure Murotani Katsumi (74) contributed an article on the 21st to the Sankei Shimbun-affiliated tabloid Yukan Fuji titled "Convenience Store Lunchbox on a 1 Night 2 Days Trip to Japan? The Strange Behavior of Korean Youths from the 'High-Wage Country'... 'Japan Trip' to Avoid the Shame of 'No Overseas Travel Experience'."

Murotani pointed out, "Internet posts by Korean youths who have been to Japan usually include photos, not only of bustling streets, famous spots, and historic sites, but also many photos of the food they ate," adding, "In these photos, there are cheap izakaya's crude assorted sashimi, conveyor belt sushi, fast food, and convenience store lunchboxes."

He then questioned, "Is my idea that when you travel, you should eat local specialty dishes at somewhat upscale restaurants too old-fashioned?" and criticized, "Most Korean youths' trips are 1 night 2 days, but I cannot understand the mindset of solving one meal with fast food or convenience store lunchboxes that are found anywhere in the world."

He also mocked, "(Korean tourists') accommodations are often guesthouses or capsule hotels. Some even save on lodging fees by sleeping in 24-hour saunas or bathhouses," and sarcastically asked, "Is this the image of youths from a country where wage levels have surpassed Japan?"

Furthermore, Murotani concluded his article by attributing the travel style of Korean tourists to "Having no overseas travel experience is considered 'shameful' in Korea," and "The cheap and convenient way to escape that 'shame' is to go to Japan."

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