World · East Asia & Pacific · 18 hrs ago
Korean shopping sites list hanbok as Chinese hanfu, professor says
Professor Seo Kyoung-duk says Korean shopping sites are confusing hanbok with hanfu, a traditional Chinese garment.
He named Coupang, Naver, Gmarket and 11st, where listings reportedly mislabel or mix the two terms.
Hanbok and hanfu are distinct garments, Seo said, and he argued that clear labels do not prevent sellers from offering Chinese-style clothing.
The issue comes amid wider disagreement over claims about hanbok's origins and how it is described in China.
Seo also pointed to Baidu Encyclopedia defining hanbok as clothing of the Korean ethnic group in China, and videos of Chinese influencers wearing hanfu at Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Seo warned that mistaken listings could give weight to claims that hanbok came from hanfu and urged the platforms to monitor listings more carefully.
He also said correcting errors and promoting hanbok internationally are important; the platforms' response was not reported.
Professor Seo Kyoung-duk says Korean shopping platforms have listed hanbok as Chinese traditional clothing called hanfu or mixed up the two.
The listings appear on Coupang, Naver, Gmarket and 11st, according to Seo.
He warned that the errors could lend support to Chinese claims that hanbok originated from hanfu.
Seo said the platforms should clearly distinguish the clothing and monitor listings, even when sellers use the platforms.
He also urged people to use the issue as an opportunity to promote hanbok internationally.
- Who
- Professor Seo Kyoung-duk raised the issue. The listings were on Coupang, Naver, Gmarket and 11st.
- What
- Hanbok was mislabeled as hanfu or the two were treated as the same clothing on shopping platforms.
- When
- Seo raised the issue on social media on November 8, 2026.
- Where
- South Korean online shopping platforms.
- Why
- Seo said the errors could give support to Chinese claims that hanbok originated from hanfu.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Baidu Encyclopedia defined hanbok as clothing of the Korean ethnic group in China, according to Seo.
Videos of Chinese influencers wearing hanfu at Gyeongbokgung Palace spread widely on social media.
Seo posted on social media about hanbok being mislabeled or mixed up with hanfu on South Korean shopping platforms.
- Platforms
- Coupang, Naver, Gmarket and 11st
- Clothing
- Hanbok and hanfu
- Professor
- Seo Kyoung-duk, Sungshin Women’s University
- Social media post
- November 8, 2026
1 source
What people are saying
This is like providing another pretext for China’s groundless claim that hanbok originated from hanfu
I am not saying not to sell Chinese-style clothes; hanbok and hanfu are clearly different, so let’s distinguish them clearly
Most of these shopping malls only provide platforms to sellers, but even so, they should have paid attention through consistent monitoring to prevent this from happening
It is important to point out and correct what is wrong in China’s hanbok dispute, but we should also do our best to use this as an opportunity to promote hanbok to the world