Seokyeongdeok "Kimchi labeled as 'Paochai'"... MFDS "Apologizes for labeling error"

Published 14 Apr.2022 20:33(KST)

'Paocai' Notation in YouTube Videos Uploaded in February

Kimchi.
Photo by Getty Images Bank

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has officially apologized for labeling kimchi as the Chinese dish 'Paochai (泡菜)' in a self-produced YouTube promotional video.

On February 10, the MFDS uploaded a video titled "Sodium Diet for Pregnant Women's Health - Eating Less Salty Part 1" on its YouTube channel, in which kimchi was translated into Chinese and subtitled as 'Paochai.' The term 'Paochai' appears twice in the video.

However, seven months before the video was posted, on July 22 of last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism changed the Chinese notation for kimchi from 'Paochai' to 'Xinqi (辛奇).' Although this was announced by the same government agency, the video was produced without acknowledging this update.

Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University criticized, "It is unacceptable that a government agency like the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety labeled kimchi as 'Paochai' (泡菜), which causes displeasure."

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's YouTube video with Chinese subtitles for 'Paochai' (泡菜). / Photo by YouTube capture

In response, on the 14th, the MFDS issued a press release titled "Apology for the Error in the Chinese Notation of Kimchi," stating, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to the public due to the incorrect notation of kimchi."

The MFDS explained, "Although the Chinese notation for kimchi was changed to 'Xinqi' on July 22, 2021 (Guidelines for Foreign Language Translation and Notation of Public Terms, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Directive No. 448), the error occurred because this was not carefully checked during the video production process."

They added, "Upon recognizing the notation error, the video was immediately deleted. We will thoroughly review and ensure that the correct foreign language notation is applied on the MFDS website and promotional materials, and we will do our best to prevent recurrence of such errors."

The controversial video has now been deleted.

Meanwhile, 'Paochai' is a general term in China for pickled vegetable side dishes and is different from kimchi. However, the Chinese government claims that kimchi originated from paochai.