Kimchi, a traditional Korean food, was incorrectly labeled in the Seoul city government's official Chinese-language promotional materials, sparking controversy. It had been written as "pao cai (泡菜)," which means Chinese-style pickled vegetables. In response, the Seoul city government said it will correct it immediately.
According to city council member Kim Hye-young of the Culture. Sports. and Tourism Committee (People Power Party, Gwangjin 4) on the 13th, Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi stew) introduced on Seoul's Chinese-language website and in the "2025 Travel Guidebook" was distributed as "pao cai tang (泡菜湯)." In addition, Museum Kimchikan, a kimchi museum in Insadong, Jongno District, was labeled as the "Pao cai Museum."
Earlier, in 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism partially revised the "Guidelines for Foreign Language Translation and Notation of Public Terms," specifying "xin qi (辛奇)" as the correct Chinese notation for kimchi.
However, criticism has emerged that the mislabeling has continued even after five years. The Seoul city government said, "(The promotional materials in question) were produced by the affiliated Seoul Tourism Organization, and we confirmed that the mislabeling was displayed as is," adding, "We requested immediate corrective action."
Kim said, "As attempts at cultural appropriation such as the 'kimchi project' by China and neighboring countries continue, protecting kimchi, our traditional culinary culture, is an issue of cultural sovereignty," adding, "We must ensure that such absurd mistakes are never repeated."