Is Waving the Taegeukgi a Crime at Mount Baekdu?..."Investigated by Chinese Police and Forced to Write a Statement"

Taegeukgi Confiscated Within Seconds by Local Official
Concerns Raised Over Potential Conflict in Border Area

A South Korean YouTuber has sparked controversy after being investigated by Chinese authorities for singing the national anthem and waving the Taegeukgi at Heaven Lake on Mount Baekdu. On July 25, a live broadcast video of a tour of Mount Baekdu was uploaded to YouTube. In the video, YouTuber A took out a pre-prepared Taegeukgi and began waving it while singing the national anthem upon reaching Heaven Lake. However, within seconds, a man who appeared to be a local official approached and snatched the Taegeukgi from A's hand. There were many tourists in the area at the time, and one South Korean tourist commented, "You can't do things like that because this is Chinese territory. You're lucky you weren't detained."

A Korean YouTuber climbed Baekdusan Cheonji, sang the national anthem, and waved the Taegeukgi, sparking controversy after being investigated by Chinese public security. YouTube

A then used a mobile translation app to ask the local official, "Can you please return the Taegeukgi? I'll put it in my bag and leave." However, A was not able to get the Taegeukgi back and left the scene with the official, ending the live broadcast. Six hours later, A resumed the live broadcast to explain the situation. He claimed that the police had confiscated all his belongings for inspection and even checked every single photo in his phone's album.

He explained, "Because Mount Baekdu is a border area with North Korea, it seems that China intervened out of concern that raising the Taegeukgi could provoke conflict between North Korea and China." It was reported that A had to write a statement promising not to repeat such actions in the future to resolve the situation. Viewers who watched the video commented, "A guide once told us never to wave the Taegeukgi or sing the national anthem at Mount Baekdu because the police would show up," and "It's safer not to provoke them for no reason." Another viewer mentioned the recent controversy involving the Chinese national flag at Udo, Jeju in mid-July, saying, "China truly is the epitome of double standards."

Currently, 75% of Mount Baekdu is under Chinese jurisdiction, while North Korea controls 25%. About 54.5% of Heaven Lake belongs to North Korea. This is due to the 'China-North Korea Border Treaty' signed in Pyongyang on October 12, 1962, by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. As a result, except for the eastern slope (Dongpa), which is located in North Korea, the northern, western, and southern slopes are accessible. Among these, the southern slope is adjacent to the North Korean border, making inspections and searches more stringent. For reasons such as ensuring tourist safety, the Chinese government repeatedly opens and closes access to this route, making it more difficult to climb compared to other routes.