Controversy has erupted after about 100 Chinese people in military-style uniforms were seen marching in formation at Seoul's Hangang Park.
On the 7th, an online community and social media carried a video of a Chinese walking club filming an event it held in Korea. The video was first posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, on the 4th and appears to have been filmed on Oct. 31 around the Mulbit Stage in Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul.
The video shows Chinese participants marching with red flags. An estimated 100 or so Chinese people took part in the event, gathering in matching uniforms in groups of about 10. Some teams wore colorful tracksuits, while others wore outfits reminiscent of military uniforms.
A banner in the video read "Korea (Hangang) International Walking Exchange Exhibition Chinese walking enthusiasts," and listed the date as "Oct. 31, 2025" and the location as "around Yeouido Hangang Park." A banner reading "Zhengzhou Youth Park Walking Group" was also visible.
At the park plaza, they also held a rally, listening to remarks from a representative and performing a choreographed dance. The representative said, "Sports transcends borders. Let's strengthen China–Korea friendship," and added, "Let's walk joyfully and go back with good memories."
Although the event was a team-building gathering by a Chinese club visiting Korea, Korean viewers continued to express discomfort with the military-like attire and marching.
Domestic netizens poured out negative reactions, saying, "There's no problem with a Chinese club walking, but the military uniforms crossed the line," "How does that make sense," "Unbelievable," "Is this Korea or China," "What are they doing in someone else's country," and "The Korean government should lodge an official protest with China."
Earlier, on the 2nd, at the "2025 Yeoju Ogoknaru Festival" in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, a video showing the flag of the Chinese People's Liberation Army flying and Chinese troops marching was screened, prompting controversy.