
On February 5th, Professor Seo Kyung-duk from Sungshin Women’s University addressed a controversial post made by Han Jin on the global platform Weverse. On February 1st, Han Jin described his meal as “I ate kimchi stew” in Korean, but he also referred to kimchi using the Chinese term “paocai, ” stirring considerable backlash.
“Paocai” is a pickled vegetable dish in Chinese cuisine that typically includes ingredients like cabbage, mustard stems, chili peppers, and carrots, preserved in salt. This culinary preparation significantly differs from kimchi, which involves fermenting napa cabbage with a mixture of seasonings, such as chili powder, garlic, ginger, and green onions.

Han Jin’s use of the term “paocai” to describe kimchi sparked outrage, with many viewing it as a threat to Korean cultural heritage. This incident echoed a previous situation involving actress Choo Ja-hyun, who had to apologize after using similar terminology, drawing criticism for undermining kimchi’s cultural significance. Furthermore, the BBC highlighted this misuse as an example of “stealing Korean culture.”
In response, Professor Seo shared a screenshot of Han Jin’s Weverse post on social media, noting he had received numerous reports about the incident. He condemned the action as “a serious mistake” that required greater sensitivity to cultural distinctions.

Professor Seo further stated, “As a public figure with considerable influence, he should have exercised more caution and respect for the cultural sentiments of Koreans. Kimchi and paocai are fundamentally different dishes.”
This controversy raises important questions about cultural identity and respect within the realms of food and language. In 2021, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism took steps towards rectifying these issues by revising its “Guidelines for Foreign Language Translation and Notation of Public Terms, ” which officially recognized “xinqi” (辛奇) as the appropriate Chinese term for kimchi.
Following the backlash from Korean fans, Han Jin has since removed his post, reflecting the significant public sentiment surrounding the preservation of cultural identity.
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