After a performer wore a traditional Korean outfit during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, major South Korean presidential hopefuls accused China of claiming their culture.
During Friday’s performance in Beijing’s National Stadium, a woman dressed in a white and light purple hanbok outfit marched among other performers who appeared to symbolise China’s numerous ethnic groups while carrying the Chinese national flag.
South Korean officials’ disdain comes amid public outrage over recent Chinese assertions on the internet concerning the origins of significant Korean cultural artefacts, including kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish.
However, several South Koreans viewed their leaders’ reaction as misplaced, claiming that the woman clearly represented an estimated 2 million ethnic Koreans living in China.
Apart from the online squabbles about kimchi and hanbok, South Korea and China have a long history of disagreements over the domain of ancient monarchs whose lands ranged from the Korean Peninsula to Manchuria.
Post Your Comments