Searching for Hanbok on Coupang and Naver Yields Chinese Hanfu

When users search for hanbok on leading Korean online shopping malls, China's traditional dress hanfu appears alongside the results, making it difficult for consumers to tell the two garments apart. On the 8th, Sungshin Women's University professor Seo Kyoung-duk pointed out on his social media that hanbok and hanfu are being sold interchangeably on major platforms such as Coupang and Naver, and one sales page was indeed confirmed to list hanfu right alongside hanbok. A check found that this mixed labeling appears on major Korean online shopping malls including Coupang, Naver, and 11st.

Hanbok and hanfu, however, are traditional garments with distinct forms and historical backgrounds. Meanwhile, photos and videos of Chinese influencers wearing hanfu at Gyeongbokgung Palace have recently circulated on social media.

Professor Seo Kyoung-duk said, "When shopping malls in Korea return hanbok and hanfu in the same searches, it lends credence to China's baseless claims," adding, "That is the biggest problem."