Paris supermarket sells kimchi fried rice labeled 'Chinese food,' sparking backlash

A supermarket in Paris has been selling kimchi fried rice labeled "CHINESE FOOD," drawing criticism over the mislabeling.

Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, raised the issue Thursday on Facebook, citing a specific brand and saying takeout food products distributed in the Paris area were being sold with kimchi fried rice labeled as "Chinese food."

"An internet user traveling in Paris tipped me off, and when I checked, a supermarket in the city was indeed selling kimchi fried rice as 'Chinese food,'" Seo said. "It's a typical kimchi fried rice with bacon, packaged in a takeout container and labeled 'CHINESE FOOD.'"

Seo said cases of kimchi being mistaken for Chinese or Japanese food remain common across Europe.

He pointed to a recent incident at the restaurant inside the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, which had been serving dishes inspired by the Netherlands, France and Japan — countries that influenced Van Gogh's art. "That restaurant treated kimchi as Japanese food and sold a 'kimchi sandwich,' which sparked controversy," Seo said. "I sent a letter of complaint and the item was removed from the menu."

He also cited a well-known German supermarket chain, saying its website had introduced kimchi as "Japanese kimchi," a description that was corrected after he sent a complaint.

"I plan to send a complaint about the Paris case as well, so that foreigners are not misled," Seo said. "China has been persistently making the baseless claim that kimchi originated from its own 'paocai,' and cases like this can give them ammunition."

Meanwhile, Seo raised a similar case on Facebook in March, citing tips from Taiwanese travelers. "Many travelers in Taiwan reached out to me," he wrote. "A hotel breakfast buffet in Taipei was introducing kimchi as 'Chinese Side Dishes.'"

At the time, Seo said the response should go beyond simply criticizing the mislabeling. "Rather than just condemning the errors, we need all-around promotional efforts to ensure correct labeling," he said. "The first step toward truly globalizing kimchi is correcting the mislabeling found in every corner of the world."