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At the end of 2021, South Korea was enraged at the Chinese news that “Chinese paochai has become the international standard for kimchi.” Starting with this, various cultural issues emerged as factors for conflicts between Korea and China. In particular, issues related to Korean identities, such as kimchi and hanbok, received more attention.

Finding Researchers to Work with is an Urgent Priority

First, I found and read literature that would help me understand the causes of cultural clashes between the two countries. It did not take much time as there was not much. Ultimately, I concluded that it is necessary to understand cultural imperialism, Chinese nationalism, the Gangneung Dano Festival Controversy, the anti-Korean Wave, and the cultural policy of the Xi Jinping government to understand China's attack on Korean culture.

Why Does China Attack Korea for Its Culture?

The causes of cultural clashes between Korea and China can be divided into several aspects. First, it is because China attacks or blocks Korean culture to block the entry of Western ideas and religions contrary to its national ideology. This is because the spread of Western capitalist ideology and culture can undermine the socialist ideology and weaken the communist party's justification for their rule. When the Gangneung Dano Festival Controversy in 2004, the Chinese media referred to the Korean Festival as a 'Western festival' or equated Korean culture (especially K-pop) with Western culture. This indicates that the Korean Wave was recognized as a part of Western cultural imperialism. The Gangneung Dano Festival Controversy was a dispute over the ownership of traditional culture externally, but in fact, it was intended to block the influx of Western values and block the Korean Wave. The Xi Jinping administration intensified this trend since it took office and even implemented “cultural isolation.” They have blatantly persecuted Christianity and still maintain the law that bans Korean culture.

Second, it is because the Chinese government attacks or blocks Korean culture as a way to protect its cultural products. The Chinese government has imposed sanctions on the Korean Wave to protect and nurture its cultural industry until it has secured international competitiveness in the global competitive system led by the Korean Wave. Sanctions against the Korean Wave began in earnest when the drama aired in China in 2005 when the Gangneung Dano Festival Controversy was heated. It seems they were trying to stop the Korean Wave by spreading negative perceptions about Korean culture through controversy.

Third, it is to secure an advantageous position on the Korean Peninsula in the competition for hegemony against the United States. After the Xi Jinping administration came in, Chinese netizens said that the clothes of officials of the Joseon Dynasty were granted by Ming China and that hanbok (Korean clothes) was Chinese. The fundamental reason for making this claim is to argue that Korea was a subordinate country of ancient China. Historian E. H. Carr said, "The belief that we come from somewhere is closely related to the belief that we are going somewhere." Look at China's historical interpretation of China-Korea relations. You can see how the two countries view the future of their relationship.