The Power of Chinese Tourists? Korean Restaurants Labeling Kimchi as 'Pao Cai'

Many Domestic Restaurants Also Label Paocai
Seogyeongdeok: "Giving China an Excuse"

Professor Seokyungdeok from Sungshin Women's University pointed out that many domestic restaurants label 'kimchi' as 'paocai (泡菜)' and criticized it as "giving China an excuse."

On the 17th, Professor Seo opened his remarks on his Facebook, saying, "Among various reports from netizens recently, I found out that many restaurants in domestic tourist spots still label 'kimchi' as 'paocai.'

He continued, "Menus in restaurants around major domestic tourist spots usually introduce the menu first in Korean, then translate it into English, Japanese, Chinese, etc. However, many places still translate dishes with kimchi as the main ingredient, such as kimchi jjigae and kimchi mandu, as 'paocai.' This situation is tantamount to giving China an excuse," he pointed out.

Kimchi is incorrectly labeled as Paocai.
[Image source=Photo by Seokyungdeok, Professor at Sungshin Women's University Facebook]

In recent years, China has been steadily carrying out the 'Kimchi Project,' claiming kimchi as its own culture. In particular, in November 2020, China's state-run media Global Times claimed that paocai received international standard certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), asserting that "China's kimchi industry has become the standard for the international kimchi market," which caused a stir. Additionally, China's largest portal site 'Baidu' encyclopedia labeled kimchi as 'Chinese food.'

Moreover, in 2021, a popular Chinese YouTuber with 14 million subscribers released a video making kimchi and cooking kimchi jjigae, sparking controversy.

[Image source=Seokyungdeok, Professor at Sungshin Women's University, Facebook]

Regarding this, Professor Seo said, "China continues to carry out the 'Kimchi Project.' While active responses against China's distortion are important, it is also essential for everyone to correct the misused labels domestically."

He also stated, "Two years ago, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism partially revised the 'Guidelines for Foreign Language Translation and Notation of Public Terms,' specifying the correct Chinese notation for kimchi as 'Xinqi (辛奇).'"

Furthermore, he urged, "As COVID-19 is almost over, a large number of foreign tourists are flocking to Korea. Restaurant owners should check whether the kimchi labeling is correct, and customers should request corrections from the owners if there are incorrect labels. It is time for everyone to take an interest and join forces to ensure the correct notation of kimchi."

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