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Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Japan-themed events face backlash ahead of Liberation Day
With the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule just around the corner, a Japanese-themed festival at a theme park here is fueling heated debate online. Nijimori Studio in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, has been holding a summer festival since July 26, which runs through this Sunday. The festival offers visitors a chance to experience Japanese culture through activities such as trying on traditional attire, attending samurai duel performances and watching parades of portable Shinto shrines, officials said. What sparked controversy are the programs planned for Friday, which include a samurai duel performance and a kimono contest. This falls on the same day as National Liberation Day, a national holiday that marks Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1919-1945). Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University in Seoul and an outspoken activist on issues related to South Korean sovereignty, wrote in a Facebook post that 'holding such an event on National Liberation Day goes against the national sentiment.' Nijimori Studio is a commercial facility repurposed into a theme park from a former film and drama set. Some online users, however, argued that historical issues and cultural consumption should be seen separately. 'Should every Japanese restaurant just shut down? If we start rejecting cultural exchange because of a country's past wrongdoings, what's the point of diplomacy?' one Facebook user wrote. The theme park responded to the controversy by introducing programs to mark National Liberation Day, including the reading of a celebratory message and a lantern-floating event honoring independence activists. A similar controversy erupted earlier last week when the professional baseball team LG Twins announced plans to invite 'Tanjiro' and 'Nezuko,' characters from the hit Japanese anime Demon Slayer, to throw the ceremonial first pitch at their game against the Hanwha Eagles on Saturday. The team ultimately canceled the plan amid mounting public criticism. Demon Slayer is set during Japan's imperial era, and the pattern on the main character's earrings has long drawn backlash for resembling the Rising Sun flag, a symbol linked to Japanese militarism. Amid the ongoing controversy over Japanese cultural events on National Liberation Day, demand for travel to Japan has remained steady. More than 9 million passengers traveled on flights between Korea and Japan as of July 17, marking a 9.3 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Incheon International Airport Corporation.
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Australian museum removes display wrongly labelling Chinese clothing as ‘Korean traditional attire'
Professor Seo Kyung-duk at Sungshin Women's University shared the news of the display's removal on his Instagram on May 29. PHOTOS: SEOKYOUNGDUK/INSTAGRAM SEOUL - The Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, has removed a display that mistakenly labelled Chinese-style clothing as 'Korean traditional attire' following complaints from the Korean community in Australia. Professor Seo Kyung-duk, who teaches liberal arts at Sungshin Women's University and a prominent advocate for promoting Korean culture abroad, shared this news of the display's removal on his Instagram on May 29. 'I heard about this from a lot of Koreans in Australia. It's such a great outcome,' Prof Seo wrote. He explained that after concerns were raised, the museum acknowledged the mistake and corrected the label to indicate that the clothing was Chinese-style. The final removal of the display, he said, was the result of collective action by the Korean community in Canberra. Prof Seo also underscored the significance of the display's removal. 'Even if the label is corrected, placing Chinese-style clothing in front of the Korean flag is bound to cause misunderstandings among foreign visitors,' he said. 'Given that China has recently been making false claims that hanbok originated from its own culture, this decision was very much welcomed.' THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
29-05-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Australian museum removes display wrongly labeling Chinese clothing as ‘Korean traditional attire'
The Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, has removed a display that mistakenly labeled Chinese-style clothing as 'Korean traditional attire' following complaints from the Korean community in Australia. Seo Kyung-duk, a professor of liberal arts at Sungshin Women's University and a prominent advocate for promoting Korean culture abroad, shared this news of the display's removal on his Instagram on Thursday. "I heard about this from a lot of Koreans in Australia. It's such a great outcome," Seo wrote. He explained that after concerns were raised, the museum acknowledged the mistake and corrected the label to indicate that the clothing was Chinese-style. The final removal of the display, he said, was the result of collective action by the Korean community in Canberra. Seo also underscored the significance of the display's removal. 'Even if the label is corrected, placing Chinese-style clothing in front of the Korean flag is bound to cause misunderstandings among foreign visitors,' he said. 'Given that China has recently been making false claims that hanbok originated from its own culture, this decision was very much welcomed.'
