Controversy Over 'Kimono Event' at German Kia Dealership: "Low Understanding of Korean Culture"

A German car dealership has sparked controversy by holding an event featuring the traditional Japanese attire, kimono, to celebrate the opening of a Kia Motors dealership.

Video posted by a German car dealership. Professor Seokyungdug's Facebook

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Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women’s University stated on his Facebook page on February 2, "I learned about this through a tip from a netizen living in Germany," and added, "This company recently held an event for citizens and customers to commemorate the opening of a Kia Motors dealership in Schwerin, Germany."

He pointed out, "The event was held with Japanese and Chinese themes, and the related video was released on social media. Although the video claims the decorations are 'Korean-style,' women dressed in kimono appear in the footage." He continued, "The overall atmosphere of the store is decorated with Chinese-style dragons and lanterns, which is causing misunderstandings among citizens."

However, Professor Seo explained, "Kia Motors is not at fault for this event. It can be seen as an incident that occurred due to the local company's lack of understanding of Korean culture."

Professor Seo also mentioned, "Recently, Aldi, known as Germany's national supermarket, introduced Korean kimchi as 'Japanese kimchi' on its website, leading to major controversy." He emphasized, "Rather than simply criticizing the ongoing distortion of Korean culture by German companies, we must make greater efforts to properly inform others first."

'Kimchi Sauce' from a Spanish Company Sold at a European Supermarket. Photo by Seokyeongdeok Professor Facebook

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This is not the first time such controversy has arisen. In November of last year, a major supermarket in Europe sold a 'kimchi sauce' product featuring a woman in kimono on the packaging, which also sparked debate. At the time, Professor Seo expressed concern, stating, "If this kind of kimchi sauce is sold in Europe, there is a risk that kimchi may be mistaken for Japanese food."

The problematic product was made by a Spanish company, and its label depicted a woman in kimono and even included the Chinese word "paocai" (泡菜). Professor Seo pointed out, "Korean kimchi and Chinese paocai are distinctly different foods," and criticized, "The origin, name, and design are all wrongly combined."

He further emphasized, "These situations continue to occur because Europeans have a low level of understanding of Asian cultures," and added, "Now that K-food is becoming widely known around the world, it is essential to correct such mislabeling and design errors."

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