TWS member Han Jin sparks controversy for labeling kimchi as ‘pao cai’

TWS member Han Jin has come under fire for referring to kimchi as “pao cai”, the Chinese term for pickled vegetables, sparking backlash. In response, Professor Seo Kyung Duk criticized the mislabeling, calling it a serious mistake.

The controversy began on February 1st KST when Han Jin responded to a fan’s question on the Weverse platform. When asked “Did you eat?”, he replied, “I had kimchi jjigae,” but added the Chinese term “pao cai” in parentheses.

“Pao cai” is a Chinese pickled vegetable dish that is distinct from kimchi. In 2021, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism officially designated “xin qi” as the correct Chinese translation for kimchi, reinforcing its unique cultural identity.

On the morning of the 5th, Professor Seo Kyung Duk addressed the issue, stating, “I’ve received an overwhelming number of reports about this. TWS member Han Jin labeled kimchi as ‘pao cai’ while communicating with fans on a social app, which has sparked controversy.”

He further criticized the term’s misuse, explaining, “As many know, Korea’s kimchi and China’s ‘pao cai’ are entirely different foods. China has been falsely claiming that kimchi originates from ‘pao cai’ and insisting it is part of their culture.”

Professor Seo emphasized, “Given these circumstances, Han Jin’s choice of words was undeniably a mistake. As a public figure with significant influence, he should have been more careful and mindful of Korean cultural sentiments.”

While Han Jin has since deleted the comment, Seo Kyung Duk stressed the importance of preventing similar incidents in the future. “This isn’t the first time celebrities active in both Korea and China have mislabeled kimchi as ‘pao cai’ in videos or social media posts. We must be more vigilant to prevent China from using such cases as leverage in cultural disputes.”

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