Professor Seo Kyung-duk Responds to Criticism from Chinese Netizens Over IVE’s Korean-style MV

Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University shared on May 1st that there have been claims made by others stating that kimchi, hanbok, and other representative aspects of Korean culture, such as samgyetang and fan dance, are actually Chinese. More recently, there have been attempts to label scenes in K-pop music videos as Chinese culture as well.

He stressed that due to the widespread interest in Korean culture among people globally, Chinese netizens have developed a strong sense of inferiority. It is unfortunate that they are unable to break free from the constraints of “twisted Sinocentrism”.

Recently, the popular girl group IVE released their second EP album, along with a music video for their title track “HEYA” . The visually stunning music video incorporates traditional Korean costumes such as jeogori, fans, norigae, paintings, and even features Korean tigers. In regards to the music video, member Ahn Yu-jin expressed her excitement, stating, “It was incredibly meaningful to film a Korean-inspired music video for ‘HEYA’ and wear such beautiful traditional outfits. We had a blast preparing for it.”

Despite this, there were some Chinese netizens who left negative comments accusing IVE of cultural appropriation, which led to a heated debate.

This is not an isolated incident of China making baseless accusations. During the 2022 Paris Fashion Week, IVE’s Jang Won-young received criticism from some Chinese individuals for wearing a phoenix binyeo, a traditional Korean hairpin. In response, she clarified that she had brought the binyeo from Korea to showcase the country’s beauty in Paris.

A Chinese influencer responded by stating that binyeo adorned with phoenix patterns is a distinct characteristic of Chinese culture. They expressed frustration towards the frequent appropriation of their culture by Koreans, and found it particularly concerning that a public figure would engage in such behavior.

Moreover, Chinese netizens also mocked the portrayal of “Exhuma”actors with Chinese characters written on their faces, pointing out that in Chinese culture, writing or carving words on one’s face is considered extremely disrespectful and degrading. This sparked frustration among Korean movie enthusiasts when they saw some Chinese individuals praising the actors for their “cool”appearance.

Despite their criticism of “Exhuma,”Chinese individuals were still caught illegally streaming the movie. Professor Seo also highlighted the problem of Korean content being distributed without permission in China and urged Chinese authorities to find a solution for this issue.