“Let’s show the Koreans the power of our unity … They will understand
that their economy is dependent on us,” a Weibo commenter wrote.
Yep, they are very envious of Korea’s success in cultural exports… for starters.
China is targeting Korean cultural exports in an attempt to undermine Seoul’s soft power on the mainland. With the entertainment and cultural trade deficit between the two firmly in Seoul’s favour, China is turning the popularity of Korean products into a weapon against South Korea. Specifically, Beijing is using the pervasive nature of South Korean products and entertainment to raise awareness of the THAAD issue, as well as mobilize ordinary citizens to take a stand.
While the government would have limited success spreading awareness of complicated foreign relations issues through traditional means, Beijing can piggyback on the popularity of Korean products. By tying a simplified version of the story (Korea is insulting us, boycott them) to the ubiquitous host of Korean shows, music, films and other products, the government can engage with (especially) China’s youth – the very people most in tune with Korean soft power and fashions, and the very people the government needs in order to maintain its legitimacy. Korean soft-power is a major player in China: the romantic drama Uncontrollably Fond alone has 4.1 billion views on China’s Youtube, Youku.
No permits for Korean performers since last year… fear competition much? How long till they do the same to Taiwanese performers?
Problem is that with China’s recent history, such battle cries send chills down everyon’es spines.
“This behavior is typical of the time before the Cultural Revolution,” commented Wang Dan, one of the student leaders of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, who posted the video onto Facebook.
And of course, tourism is the weapon of choice:
truly embarrassing.
My mom is Korean and in Korea visiting now. They are actually pretty happy about this right now. No chinEse tourists. They actually have taxis that have stickers that say they won’t take Chinese tourists lol
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누구나 중국 관광객을 싫어하죠. 하지만 중국놈들이 한국 전자 제품등을 안 사게 시작하면 한국사람들의 태도가 틀림없이 바뀔거예요.
I honestly cannot think of anyone in the tourism industry who’d feel sad about the lack of chinese tourists. Sure, less money sucks, but I know quite a few people who went on a tour that ended up to be loaded with tourists from mainland and said:“I’ll never join that kind of tour again because chinese tourists are the worst”.
I also personally know a few “off the chart” hostels here in Taiwan whose owners straight up refuse booking from chinese people (“Sorry, we’re full!”).
I think thats the main concern, less money. But taiwan has proven it can draw in tourist outside of the mainland as 2016 was actually a good year bringing in more tourist than before. I’m certain Korea can do the same as well.
Actually it’d be harder for Korea. In 2016 they received 8 million Chinese tourists, the reliance is even worse than Taiwan.
I don’t think Koreans give a flying fuck though.
National pride is something you see a lot in Korea, they make a effort to purchase Korean products and you see it going to visit. Sometimes I wish Taiwan made the same effort and had the same proud national identity as Koreans and Japanese alike.
Well I’m not sure if I’d like that. I find the really proud countries can be really crazy at times with their excessive nationalism (America, Korea, China, Singapore etc.), while not so proud countries tend to be more…relaxed? I.e. the low countries.
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I can see where you are coming from. But I think taiwan completely lacks of a general sense of national pride.
Couple this with North Korea’s rocket and nuke advances, and you have a scary situation brewing.
Here’s hoping the US Dealmaker in Chief is up to the task. This is a new escalation of the long simmering Cold War II, and that’s the best case scenario.
Well a good thing is now Korean tourist are coming to Taiwan. I see more Korean tourist lately and chatted with a couple around town and pretty much got the same reaction that they rather come to taiwan now than the mainland.
agree, thats not something anyone needs more of.
i’m watching that chinese tourist video, its pretty entertaining. it seems everything about how chinese go on holiday is offensive. how they just skim through the sites with the main thing of importance being to take selfies, how they go straight to the chinese restaurants and avoid local food. and how they are just a loud annoying rabble instead of a group that seems to be enjoying their time off on holiday.
personally i’m quite surprised they still think its acceptable to spit all over the place after leaving china. ok, lets see. the locals aren’t spitting. its pure antisocial arrogance.
Is that because of the Chinese people or the Chinese government?
Tourivism = tourism + arrivism?
Just curious.
I suppose both. Most koreans like my mom don’t have a very good view of Chinese people in general and they are not happy with the communist party either supporting N korea and such. N Korea is a pretty touchy subject layered with legitimate worries and fear.
Plus, Chinese tourists smell, are noisy, and generally rude. But they spend lots of money buying stuff they cant get in China (like food that wont kill you, and electronics that work) so its a legit economical dilemma here.
kind of like bondage prostitution. Pays well but makes my ass hurt.
Yeah if they didn’t have the $$$ they wouldn’t even let em in the door never mind sit down.