Controversy Over Hanbok Costumes in Chinese Mobile Game 'Hwangjera Chinghara'
'Shining Nikki', Which Sparked Hanbok Controversy, Also Ends Korean Service
A costume similar to the hanbok worn by IU has appeared in the mobile game 'Hwangjera Chinghara,' sparking controversy. Photo by SBS·SNS capture.
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Recently, amid strong anti-China sentiment due to China’s insistence that traditional Korean cultures such as Kimchi and Pansori are Chinese culture, controversy has arisen over a costume similar to a hanbok worn by singer IU in a drama appearing in a Chinese mobile game.
On the 13th, online communities pointed out that the clothing appearing in the Chinese mobile game "Hwangjera Chinghara," released domestically, is similar to the hanbok IU wore in the 2016 SBS drama "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo."
IU wore a hanbok blending sky blue and yellow during the drama’s poster shoot. The female character in the game also wore an outfit with similar colors and design to IU’s hanbok. Additionally, the white flower IU held was similarly posed, intensifying the controversy.
Netizens criticized, saying, "Hanbok is clearly our country’s clothing. China has repeatedly claimed our culture as its own. Now we must respond strongly," "Why do they keep coveting other cultures?" and "Let’s boycott the game."
"Hwangjera Chinghara" is a mobile game produced in 2018 by the Chinese game company "Clicktouch," depicting users traveling back in time to become emperors, recruiting talents to build a nation, and seeking beautiful love. The game is set during China’s Qing Dynasty.
This is not the first controversy over hanbok in Chinese games. In November last year, the Chinese game company "Papergames" released "Shining Nikki" in Korea, which also featured costumes inspired by hanbok, sparking controversy.
At that time, Chinese netizens claimed, "Hanbok belongs to China." Korean netizens responded with resistance, saying, "Why do you steal our country’s clothing, hanbok?" against China’s groundless claims.
Eventually, as Korean netizens’ boycott of "Shining Nikki" continued, the game company decided to terminate the service.
At that time, Papergames stated, "We are paying close attention to the recent controversy over traditional clothing culture, and as a Chinese company, we want to emphasize that our position always aligns with our motherland (China)." They also said, "We agree with the view expressed in the statement that the clothing system is the same as China’s." The company also shared a link to a post containing the Northeast Project logic in the service termination notice.
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