AliExpress, Temu cause stir for selling ‘hanfu’ to Koreans
Chinese e-commerce platforms AliExpress and Temu are causing a controversy for selling to Korean consumers “hanfu,” a Chinese traditional outfit that some Chinese people claimed was the origin of Korean traditional attire “hanbok,” according to industry watchers, Tuesday.
Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor from Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul who is well-known for his efforts to promote Korean interests abroad, said on social media on the same day that the Chinese platforms are “siding with the Chinese claim and undermining Korean consumers.”
The professor was concerned that the platforms, popular among local Korean consumers with AliExpress having 6 million subscribers and Temu 4 million subscribers, are selling the controversial items to their massive pool of customers. “Chinese people, for the past few years, have been making an absurd claim that hanbok originated from hanfu,” Seo said. “AliExpress and Temu, by selling hanfu, have proven they are on the same page with those Chinese campaigners.”
When visitors search “hanbok” on the platforms, they receive images of hanfu outfits among the search results. AliExpress even featured a category for “Chinese hanbok” in Korean to show hanfu items. The professor said it could induce Korean users and foreigners to have the wrong impression about hanbok.
“When Chinese firms are doing business with Korean consumers, the least manners they should keep is respecting the history and culture of Koreans,” Seo said. “Selling hanfu on AliExpress and Temu is completely void of such manners. They should take down hanfu immediately.”