An Organization Under the Ministry of Education Labeling Kimchi as 'Paochai'

Seolbim is Joseonjok clothing, and Yun Dong-ju is a Chinese poet.

The Academy of Korean Studies, a research and development (R&D) institution under the Ministry of Education, has been criticized for errors in its explanations of Korean culture, such as labeling kimchi as 'Pao Cai' (泡菜).

In December last year, the World Kimchi Research Institute released a detailed video explaining the differences between Korean kimchi and Chinese pao cai.
[Photo source=YouTube ‘World Kimchi Research Institute WiKim TV’ capture]

On the 13th, Jeong Gyeong-hee, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee from the People Power Party, pointed out that the Academy of Korean Studies described Korean culture in a Chinese manner in publications like the "Encyclopedia of World Korean Ethnic Culture."

In the "Encyclopedia of World Korean Ethnic Culture," the Chinese term for kimchi is given as 'Pao Cai,' and kimchi is described as a "Joseonjok dish" made by fermenting salted napa cabbage or radish mixed with seasonings.

'Pao Cai' is a Chinese-style pickled vegetable dish made by salting vegetables and fermenting them at room temperature. However, China uses this as a basis to claim that Pao Cai is the origin of kimchi.

As China's cultural appropriation claiming 'Pao Cai is kimchi' intensified, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revised the "Guidelines for Foreign Language Translation and Notation of Public Terms" in July 2021, mandating public institutions to use 'Xin Qi' (辛奇) as the Chinese term for kimchi, but this was violated.

The "Encyclopedia of World Korean Culture," compiled by the Academy of Korean Studies, an R&D institution under the Ministry of Education, lists the Chinese term for kimchi as "paochai" (泡菜).
[Photo by Jeong Gyeong-hee]

Additionally, kimjang (kimchi-making) was described as "the act of storing salted napa cabbage or radish mixed with seasonings such as red pepper powder, green onions, and garlic in the Joseonjok community."

Regarding 'Seolbim' (new clothes worn for Lunar New Year), it was explained as traditional hanbok, but defined as "new clothes worn by the Joseonjok during the Seollal holiday."

The "Encyclopedia of Korean Ethnic Culture," linked with major portal site encyclopedias like Naver and Daum, introduced 'Myeongdongchon,' the hometown of poet Yun Dong-ju, as "the renovated birthplace of the Chinese Joseonjok patriotic poet Yun Dong-ju."

Both the "Encyclopedia of World Korean Ethnic Culture" and the "Encyclopedia of Korean Ethnic Culture" were compiled by the Academy of Korean Studies as part of the "Development of Korean Cultural Content" project. This project reportedly cost a total of 2.435 billion KRW this year alone.

Jeong Gyeong-hee's office criticized the Academy of Korean Studies, which conducts projects such as "Promoting Accurate Understanding of Korea" with over 30 billion KRW in annual government funding, for accepting China's distorted claims and explaining Korean culture accordingly.

Assemblywoman Jeong stated, "The top Korean studies research institution, funded by taxpayers, is colluding with China's cultural appropriation. Immediate correction is necessary, responsible parties must be strictly disciplined, and measures to prevent recurrence should be established."

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