Chuseok 'stolen' from China? Professor rebuffs claim, urges end to 'cultural hegemony'

Seo Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, has rebuffed claims circulating in China that Korea stole chuseok from China's Mid-Autumn Festival.

Seo said Thursday on his Instagram that "for the past few years, as chuseok approaches, some Chinese internet users have been making the far-fetched claim that Korea stole the Mid-Autumn Festival."

He cited as an example an incident last year in which Manchester City, a prominent English Premier League club, posted a chuseok celebration video for Korean fans. At the time, Chinese users flooded the comments across multiple social media platforms, pushing back with claims that chuseok was a theft of their own culture. Chinese media outlets also covered the controversy.

Seo said that while chuseok and China's Mid-Autumn Festival both fall on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the two holidays have distinct origins. Chuseok, he said, is centered on giving thanks for the year's harvest, holding ancestral rites and visiting family graves. China's Mid-Autumn Festival, by contrast, is a day for appreciating the full moon and praying for family harmony.

"When seollal approaches, Chinese internet users say Korea stole the Chinese New Year; when chuseok approaches, they say Korea stole the Mid-Autumn Festival," Seo said. "I hope Chinese internet users will now stop thinking in terms of cultural hegemony and instead recognize and respect Korea's own traditional holidays."

He added that "one must first learn to recognize other countries' cultures before one's own culture can earn respect."