Controversy Arises Over Chinese Person Seen Shirtless
'Beijing Bikini' Also Sparks Social Issues in China
In Jeju, a Chinese tourist was seen walking around with his upper body exposed, sparking controversy.
Recently, a post titled "I was shocked after visiting the Arboretum Night Market" was uploaded on a Jeju mom cafe.
The author, Mr. A, said, "I was enjoying delicious food with my family and feeling good when I witnessed this," and posted a photo showing a man with full-body tattoos walking around the night market with his shirt off.
In September, a man presumed to be Chinese was seen taking off his shirt at a night market in Jeju. [Image source=Online community capture]
Mr. A said, "He seemed to be Chinese, covered in full-body irezumi (a Japanese term referring to Yakuza tattoos), and was walking around the middle of the night market with his upper body exposed," adding, "I thought it was a hidden camera prank."
In China, the so-called "Beijing Bikini" has become a social issue. Originally, it referred to men who rolled up their shirts to the chest to beat the heat, exposing their stomachs, but recently the term has expanded to refer to men who go shirtless in summer.
Locally, people dressed like this have almost taken over public spaces, and foreign media have criticized this as a symbol of China's backward culture. Because of this, some local governments such as Shandong Province, Handan, Tianjin, and Shenyang have, for several years, classified the act of going shirtless in public as "uncivilized" and have warned that they will impose fines through focused crackdowns. Nevertheless, Chinese people's love for the Beijing Bikini remains strong.
With the recent increase in Chinese tourists, their etiquette has often become a target of criticism, as in this case. In July, a Chinese woman smoking an electronic cigarette at a restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, caused controversy. She reportedly continued smoking despite objections from staff and other customers. Additionally, in June, a toddler presumed to be a Chinese tourist was caught defecating on a roadside in Jeju.
From January to August this year, the number of Chinese visitors to Korea reached 3.18 million, three times more than the same period last year. Until last year, Japanese visitors accounted for the largest share of foreign visitors to Korea at 28%, but this year, Chinese visitors overwhelmingly took first place with 40%.
Among them, Jeju's proportion of Chinese visitors among foreign tourists this year reached about 75%. Compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery rate of Chinese tourists in Jeju has significantly expanded, with 5% in 2022, 41% in 2023, and 151% in the first half of 2024.
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