China's Lunar New Year television special has again sparked controversy by featuring hanbok, the traditional Korean attire—this time in not one but two separate performances.
According to industry sources on the 17th, hanbok appeared during a joint performance by China's 56 officially recognized ethnic groups on "Chunwan" (Spring Festival Gala), broadcast by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) on the evening of February 16. The traditional Korean dress was featured in two segments: a song-and-dance number titled "Jiliang" and another called "Leaping Hippocampus."
In "Jiliang," a child wearing hanbok-style clothing walked prominently down the runway during a scene featuring children from China's ethnic minorities. In "Leaping Hippocampus," an adult in hanbok was clearly visible among performers representing minority groups.
The appearances are interpreted as representing the Korean-Chinese (Joseonjok) ethnic minority. The display is expected to draw criticism as China has recently claimed that Korean-Chinese are Chinese citizens and therefore their traditional clothing belongs to "Zhonghua Minzu" (Chinese nation) culture. While hanbok has appeared in previous Chunwan broadcasts under the premise that ethnic minorities within China are Chinese, this year's performances featured significantly expanded screen time.
China previously sparked controversy at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony by presenting hanbok as clothing of a Chinese ethnic minority. The broadcast showed a performer wearing hanbok carrying the Chinese five-starred red flag.
While Chunwan is a domestic Chinese program that might warrant some tolerance, the Olympics opening ceremony was broadcast simultaneously worldwide, causing discomfort among Koreans.
Chunwan, launched in 1983, is China's biggest holiday program. It airs live on the evening before Lunar New Year's Day across virtually all Chinese broadcast channels for approximately five hours. It is no exaggeration to say that nearly all Chinese viewers watch the program. Individual segments attract attention as indicators of China's changing circumstances and perspectives.
Beyond the hanbok controversy, this year's gala featured humanoid robots showcasing impressive skills for the second consecutive year. While last year's robots performed group dance routines, this year's segment titled "Wu BOT" (Martial BOT) demonstrated martial arts techniques including aerial somersaults, drunken boxing, and nunchaku moves.