Chinese Netizens Spark Controversy with 'Chinese Kimchi' Instagram Account
An Instagram account with the username 'Chinese Kimchi' operated by a Chinese netizen has become a subject of controversy.
This account has approximately 300,000 followers and has been criticized for posting content that implies the cultural ownership of kimchi, thereby undermining the identity of kimchi as a traditional Korean food.
Professor Seo Kyung-deok from Sungshin Women's University raised this issue on his social media today (December 12).
According to Professor Seo, the account primarily shares dance videos, with several clips surpassing 10 million views, and even some popular videos exceeding 30 million views.
In particular, Professor Seo criticized, "The description of the videos includes hashtags (#chinesekimchi), causing problems. This situation leads overseas netizens to mistakenly believe it is 'Chinese kimchi'." This reflects one aspect of the cultural conflicts that continue to arise regarding the origin of kimchi.
Calls for Active Response
Professor Seo mentioned that he has previous experience responding to similar cases.
"I reported a similar account a few months ago, which led to the account being shut down," he emphasized that this account should also be changed or suspended through active reporting by netizens.
Additionally, Professor Seo urged that "some Chinese netizens are persistently making unreasonable claims on social media that kimchi is part of their culture," calling for Koreans to respond actively to this. This can be seen as a continuation of the disputes over the origins of traditional culture, such as kimchi and hanbok, that have surfaced between Korea and China in recent years.
As the influence of social media grows, conflicts related to cultural identity appear to be spreading further, emphasizing the importance of accurate information dissemination regarding cultural content and mutual respect among nations.
Image source: Instagram account promoting 'Chinese Kimchi' by a Chinese netizen / instagram 'seokyoungduk', Instagram capture
