Major South Korean e-commerce platforms are listing traditional Korean hanbok as Chinese hanfu, according to an etnews.com report on a December 8 social media post.
Seo warned that these mislabeled listings could be used as false evidence to support claims originating in China that hanbok is derived from hanfu. He emphasized that the issue is not the sale of Chinese-style clothing itself, but the failure to properly distinguish between garments with distinct historical and cultural backgrounds.
Platforms that provide sales spaces for third-party vendors still carry a responsibility to continuously monitor product information, according to Seo.
This controversy connects to ongoing historical debates over Korean traditional clothing within Chinese online spaces. China’s Baidu encyclopedia describes hanbok as an ethnic Korean costume, while Chinese television dramas and video games have featured clothing resembling hanbok presented as ancient Chinese apparel, sparking controversy.
Recent social media posts showing Chinese influencers wearing hanfu at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul have further amplified the dispute.
Online retail platforms now hold significant influence, meaning product titles and category classifications carry weight beyond simple sales data. International shoppers frequently encounter a nation’s traditional dress through e-commerce listings, raising the demand for accurate cultural information across digital marketplaces.
Seo emphasized the need to counter external claims regarding hanbok while actively promoting the historical and cultural value of traditional Korean clothing to global audiences.
Some third-party sellers on sites like Coupang, Naver, Gmarket, and 11st mislabel traditional Korean garments as Chinese hanfu or mix the two categories when selling them.