Controversy over the labeling of 'Korean food in Northeast China' in large Thai shopping malls

Seo Kyung-duk, professor at Sungshin Women's University

A franchise restaurant in a large shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, introduced Korean food as a food in northeastern China, causing controversy.

On the 14th, Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University said on his social media (SNS), "We recently confirmed this through reports from Koreans living in Thailand."

The restaurant in question is Ant Cave, which is operating in One Bangkok, which is known to have multiple chains in China.

On the cover of the menu containing kimchi stew, soybean paste stew, and soft tofu stew, the explanation of "food from northeastern China" was marked, and kimchi making was drawn at the bottom. The kimchi-related menu was also marked as "Pao Chai" (泡菜) in China. Professor

Seo pointed out, "Michun', a Chinese franchise with more than 1,000 stores as a representative menu of hot pot bibimbap, was controversial because it was promoted as a 'Korean immaterial cultural heritage' in the store," adding, "Koreans operate Chinese restaurants all over the world, but they do not claim Chinese food to be Korean."

"It is a serious theft to try to incorporate Korea's own culture into its own culture with the nationality and base of the Korean people being China," he said. "The Chinese should first learn to respect the culture of other countries."