Push Admin

South Koreans, Chinese clash over Chinese-style kimchi winning international certificate

Article (news)

Daewoung Kim and Soohyun Mah, Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/11/30/southkorea-china-kimchi.jpg"/><figcaption>A plate with traditional Korean kimchi is seen on a table of a restaurant at Jungang market in Gangneung, South Korea February 19, 2018. <em>Jorge Silva, Reuters/File Photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>SEOUL - China&#x27;s efforts to win an international certification for Pao Cai, a pickled vegetable dish from Sichuan, is turning into a social media showdown between Chinese and South Korean netizens over the origin of Kimchi, a staple Korean cuisine made of cabbage.</p><p>Beijing recently won a certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for Pao Cai, an achievement the state-run Global Times reported as &quot;an international standard for the Kimchi industry led by China.&quot;</p><p>South Korean media was fast to dispute such a claim and accuse the bigger neighbor of trying to make Kimchi a type of China-made Pao Cai.</p><p>The episode triggered anger on South Korean social media. &quot;Its total nonsense, what a thief stealing our culture!&quot; a South Korean netizen wrote on Naver.com, a widely popular web portal.</p><p>&quot;I read a media story that China now says Kimchi is theirs, and that they are making international standard for it, It&#x27;s absurd. I&#x27;m worried that they might steal Hanbok and other cultural contents, not just Kimchi,&quot; said Kim Seol-ha, a 28-year old in Seoul.</p><p>Some South Korean media even described the episode as China&#x27;s &quot;bid for world domination,&quot; while some social media comments flagged concerns that Beijing was exercising &quot;economic coercion.&quot;</p><p>On China&#x27;s Twitter-like Weibo, Chinese netizens were claiming Kimchi as their country&#x27;s own traditional dish, as most of Kimchi consumed in South Korea is made in China.</p><p>“Well, if you don’t meet the standard, then you’re not kimchi,&quot; one wrote on Weibo. &quot;Even the pronunciation of kimchi originated from Chinese, what else is there to say,&quot; wrote another.</p><p>South Korea&#x27;s agriculture ministry on Sunday released a statement saying mainly that the ISO approved standard does not apply to Kimchi.</p><p>&quot;It is inappropriate to report (about Pao Cai winning the ISO) without differentiating Kimchi from Pao Cai of China&#x27;s Sichuan,&quot; the statement said. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sxsUDoGQYXA?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>China's efforts to win an international certification for Pao Cai, a pickled vegetable dish from Sichuan, is turning into a social media showdown between Chinese and South Korean netizens over the origin of Kimchi, a staple Korean cuisine made of cabbage.<br /> </p>

China's efforts to win an international certification for Pao Cai, a pickled vegetable dish from Sichuan, is turning into a social media showdown between Chinese and South Korean netizens over the origin of Kimchi, a staple Korean cuisine made of cabbage.

South Koreans, Chinese clash over Chinese-style kimchi winning international certificate

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Lifestyle

South Koreans, Chinese clash over Chinese-style kimchi winning international certificate

Daewoung Kim and Soohyun Mah,

Reuters

Published Nov 30, 2020 10:01 PM PHT

Read More:

kimchi

South Korea

China

food

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.