Some social media (SNS) users, believed to be Chinese internet users, were said to have claimed that "Korea is a cultural thief country" and "stole the Chinese Lunar New Year to create Seollal."
On the 25th, Professor Seo said on SNS, "Many Chinese users carried out attacks through comments and direct messages (DM)," and "They kept posting baseless messages and insults nonstop for a week."
Earlier, around the Lunar New Year holiday, Professor Seo led a campaign urging the United Nations, Apple, and the British Museum, which continue to use the term "Chinese New Year," to change it to "Lunar New Year."
Along with this, Professor Seo also brought up the controversy over a greeting video from Manchester City of the English Premier League (EPL) during last year's Chuseok. When the club posted a Chuseok video for Korean fans, some Chinese media criticized it, saying, "They stole Chinese traditional culture," and reported that "public opinion in China is boiling over."
Regarding these far-fetched claims, Professor Seo said, "Stop the baseless assertion that Korea stole Chinese culture, and stop pirating various cultural content such as Korean drama, films, and entertainment shows," adding, "Do not manufacture knockoffs of popular products from Korean corporations and distribute them around the world any longer."