China Calls Korea “The Thief Nation.” Here’s Why.

#china #korea #squidgame #japan #kpop #softpower #eastasia #videoessay #socialcommentary #kdrama #internetculture #bts

China and Korea are accusing each other of cultural appropriation. Who’s right? Or... is there even a right answer? And why is Japan not part of the debate? Join me in exploring the (rather spicy) Chinese internet and cultural controversies surrounding Squid Game, Hanbok, Hallyu, and China's ethnic Koreans.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Thanks so much for watching :)

Timestamps
0:00 Intro: “Thief Nation”
1:08 Literature gap: why is Japan an outlier?
2:16 Case study: China and Korea's Squid Game Feud
4:31 In China’s defense: Korean “exclusionary nationalism”
6:05 In Korea’s defense: the Chinese political "weaponization” of Korean minorities in China
7:35 How Korean soft power changes the whole equation
8:11 Conclusion: analogy to Apple and Blackberry

Key ~academic~ sources:

B-roll:

Music:
- Gaia, Jules. Jump Jive Roar. Adobe Stock. Licensed via Adobe Subscription.
- ChillSound. Fashion Show Lounge House Music Short. Adobe Stock. Licensed via Adobe Subscription.

tags: east asia, chinese, korean, asian, cultural commentary, social commentary, video essay, internet analysis, analysis video, multilingual, nationalism, cultural appropriation, east asian, korean, chinese, japanese, north korea, hallyu, kimchi, baidu, bilibili, hanbok, xiaohongshu, kimono, squid game, blackpink, kdrama, wu jing, korean drama, korean wave, censorship, olisunvia, aini

[jaechell]

koreans dont claim jajangmyeon as purely korean food. it's called 중국식 here which means chinese food

[republicnationfighting]

The following is a list of Chinese copies of Korean TV programs. Chinese people have copied the formats of popular Korean entertainment programs such as SBS's Running Man, Youngjae's Finding Group, Fantastic Duo, MBC's Infinite Challenge, JTBC's Hyori's Bed and Breakfast, Phantom Singer, tvN's Yoon Restaurant, Mnet's Show Me the Money, Produce 101, and more. In addition to this, countless contents such as drama scenarios, advertisements, movie posters, and idol audition programs have been stolen and used by the Chinese. Some of the programs on the list were actually purchased by the Chinese. However, just because they paid for stealing and using it later does not mean that the Chinese are honest.

In addition, Korean singers were also stxxxlen the copyright fees of YouTube music. Chinese music companies were marked as copyright holders on YouTube videos that included music by famous Korean singers such as IU, Yoon Ha and Lee Seung Chul, and changed the songs to Chinese without permission and even changed the names of artists and albums. And there are also many Chinese people who use hashtags related to Korea to earn YouTube profits. Do you think Chinese people who created YouTube channels that deal with false information about Korea are helping Korea?

[Vivi-mpnn]

So interesting! I have been obsesswd with japan for years at this point and even lived there for a year. I never cared about kdramas, but since i wanted to learn korean for linguistic interest reasons, i also found myself falling i love with Korea. The past year or so two things happened: i watch alot of asian American YouTubes and alot of them talked about chinas lack of „soft power“ (aka not exporting their culture). Which made me sooo interested in japan in an instant, since i realized so many things i like about each country, is similar or even originates to chinese culture. Them being „in a bubble“ i seem to be unable to reach makes them sooo misterious and even more interesting hahaha.
Anyways, studying all three languages rn and having many plans to travel them many times (ah i forget, the second thing that happened was china opening its borders for german citizens, so i will be gling to china next month by myself 🫣! I am studying chinese alot rn i hope it will be enough haha)

[백수-xd]

Dano Festival in Korea is a holiday from Dongye, an ancient nation on the Korean Peninsula. It is a custom that only existed in Gangwon-do, Korea, where “Dong-ye” existed. Everything is different from China’s Dragon Boat Festival, including its origins and customs. But the Chinese don't want to admit this, right? Koreans have never said that Confucius and Chinese characters are Korean. The origin of ramen came from China, and Korea's Jjajangmyeon and Jjamppong also came from China. Who can deny it? Looking at the level of consciousness of the Chinese people, you can see how easy it is for the Chinese government and media to deal with them.

[donghyeonkim]

지들 손으로 문화 다 없애놓고 이제 한국한테 시비거는 꼴. 니들 논리라면 서양의 모든 문화는 이탈리아 그리스꺼냐? 그리고 중국 니들은 다른 나라로부터 문화 영향 안받았을거 같아?

[WYVTOC]

It feels like social media is kinda ruining and making the situation worse. Like social media is such as bad place to have conversations as people who mostly comments just send hates and wish to not even think or listen?.. like its not gonna do or help anything

[MrSchtickyrice]

Cultural cross pollination, especially pop culture, is to be expected, especially in today's hyper-connected world. It is not appropriation as long as the sources are acknowledged.

That Frankenstein fusion between retro-80s Chinese track suits with the Korean green color motif from the more recent Squid Games is hilarious, wether intentional or coincidental.

[세스코중공간첩퇴치용]

This online controversial issues is consistently compounded by China's expansionary policy and history research projects to prevent independence from ethnic minorities.
Current Chinese territory was extended during the Qing Dynasty, and originally Manchuria was home to immigrants outside the Great Wall of China's Great Wall.
Also, Tibet, the Uighur region and Inner Mongolia were of course not China.
Therefore, it is becoming a national project to make history and culture of non-China regions belong to China.
This is to force history and culture into Chinese culture for China's national interest.

The history of Asia edited by China distorts history in terms of sinocentrism, chauvinism, and blind nationalism, and so many problems have been unfairly written.
The views of some Chinese scholars on the development of Chinese and Korean people in the past were not very accurate.
Even today's sinocentrism in China has evolved further, creating a miracle logic.
Today, China had to make all its immigrants Chinese in the process of unifying 56 ethnic groups. The vast majority of northern immigrants went through the process of washing their identities as Han Chinese.
Without stopping here, China is showing an attitude of denying all of Korea's independent cultures.
They describe the origins of all Korean culture as China through historical distortion and manipulation.

[루피엄마-vl]

Chinese people claim that not only Korean culture but also all clothing from Vietnam, Mongolia, Japan, and Korea is Chinese clothing.

[bb]

a lot of countries fight about this type of issue lol - especially all throughout Asia. Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia even had a quarrel over the origins a shaved ice dessert (condol).

[jhpark]

if u look at the Chinese history, Qing dynasty basically originated from Manchuria, which is different from Han

[조춘장-yp]

중국 문화는 문화대혁명때 전부 사라진거아닌가요? 중국인들이 그렇게 칭송하는 공자의 무덤도 스스로 없앴잖아?재밌다

[worldcollides]

Chinese identity crash originated from red guards destroying their “culture” I guess. It became pathetic atp. Thief nation they call it, but watching Korean drama and film illegally in their own website such as bilibili, the video showed squid game for explanation, Netflix aren’t even accessible in China. After thaad, Korean idol and culture thing is forbidden yet Chinese some how knows everything about Korean culture, wonder where they are getting info lol. Their best song even copied Korean and Japanese song mostly.

[llllllllll-fd]

사실 관료들이 입는 관복을 제외하면 한복은 몽골 영향이 큽니다. 조선시대에 쓰던 '갓'도 고려시대에 몽골에서 들어온 말총모자의 영향을 크게 받았죠.

[udtbazzi]

한푸라는 단어를 너희들이 언제부터 써왔는지 곰곰히 생각을 해보길 바란다 아무리 커도 고여있는 물은 반드시 썩는다 김치, 한복, 오징어게임 평소에는 신경도 안쓰던 관심사에 왜 세계적으로 유행만 하면 니들이 발작을 할까? 한국인들은 적어도 부끄러운 역사에 반성을하고 반복하지 않길 위해 힘을쓴다 일례로 한국은 베트남에게 진심으로 사과를 했고 여러 한국 기업들이 보상 차원에서 베트남으로 진출해 경제 시장에 도움을 줬다 한국 국민들은 투표를해서 리더를 뽑고 그 리더가 자질이 부족하면 직접 끌어 내릴수도 있는 당연한 권리가 있다 니들은 어떠한가? 넓은 우리 속에서 사육사의 말이 다 옳고 그저 던져주는 먹이만 받아먹고 살고 있는거 아닌지 잘 생각해보길 바란다

[MegaKnight]

China stole Communism from Europeans.
Who we think of as Japanes came into Japan from China 1700 years ago.
Korea has been under Chinese rule, like Ukraine with Russia, and Ireland with England, but we don't see Mongolia reconquering all the lands of their previous Empire (which included Korea).

[정민선-tw]

14억의 인구와 전세계 4위의 영토크기를 지니고도 5천만 한국인과 기싸움을 하는 등치만 큰 바보들 ㅋㅋㅋ

[승찬-um]

체육복따위가 문제가아닐텐데 진짜 문제는 영상물 불법 유포에 저작권 침해 밥먹듯이 하고 갑작스러운 공격적인 무역제재 등이 문제일텐데.

[deepestsleeep]

It wasn't like this 20 years ago when a Korean period drama series called "Dae Jang Geum" was a huge hit in China. China back then did not claim Hanbok as theirs. Kimchi to Chinese were just some stincky cabbages. Chinese loved the show and came to Korea to visit the historic sites, etc. But no one was screaming that Korea "stole" the culture from them. But this whole thing about the "cultural appropriation" accusation started in recent years. The term Hanfu was not something that was known to the world. Even Chinese people almost olny exclusively wore Qipao for decades. I think it's about less than 10 years since I saw all those comments online about Hanbok being the copy of Hanfu and Kimchi being Chinese. My Han Chinese sister in law didn't even know or ate Kimchi. She wore Qipao but knew nothing about Hanfu. It is all a part of CCP propaganda, I think.

[zitnbit]

Dude, China even claims that football(soccer) is theirs. What do you expect from them?