A Popular Spot for Koreans... Bangkok Mall Says "Korean Food is Regional Chinese Cuisine"

Professor Seo Kyung-duk Expresses Outrage on Social Media:
"This Is Clearly Theft"
"Chinese People Must First Learn to Respect Other Cultures"

A Thai restaurant introduced Korean food as 'Northeastern Chinese cuisine.' Professor Seo Kyung-deok SNS

A franchise restaurant located in a large shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, is causing controversy by labeling Korean food as 'Northeast Chinese cuisine.'

On the 14th, Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women's University revealed through his social media (SNS) that "this fact was confirmed through reports from Koreans living in Thailand recently."

According to Professor Seokyung Deok, the problematic restaurant is Ant Cave, operating in One Bangkok. It is known to have multiple chain stores in China. On the menu cover featuring dishes such as kimchi jjigae, doenjang jjigae, and sundubu jjigae, there is a description stating 'Northeast Chinese cuisine' along with an illustration of kimchi-making at the bottom. The kimchi-related menu was incorrectly labeled as Chinese 'Pao cai' (泡菜). The interior of the restaurant also utilized images such as people wearing hanbok selling tteokbokki.

A Chinese restaurant promoting Dolsot Bibimbap as a 'Joseonjok Intangible Cultural Heritage.' Professor Seo Kyung-duk SNS

Previously, the Chinese franchise 'Mi Chun,' which operates with dolsot bibimbap as its representative menu, caused controversy by promoting dolsot bibimbap inside its stores as a 'Joseonjok intangible cultural heritage.'

Professor Seokyung Deok pointed out, "The Chinese franchise 'Mi Chun,' which has surpassed 1,000 stores, promoted dolsot bibimbap inside its stores as a 'Joseonjok intangible cultural heritage,' causing controversy. Koreans run Chinese restaurants worldwide, but they do not claim Chinese food as Korean."

He added, "Using the nationality and territory of the Joseonjok as Chinese to incorporate uniquely Korean culture into their own is outright theft," and emphasized, "Chinese people must first learn to respect the cultures of other countries."