SBS News

News > Society

Chinese Tourists Spotted Wearing Hanfu at Gyeongbokgung Palace Sparking Controversy

Lee Gang

Published : Sep 10, 2026 9:07 AM

Video

The first piece of news is this.

"Taking photos in Hanfu at Gyeongbokgung Palace."

Hanfu refers to traditional Chinese attire.

Recently, Chinese tourists have been repeatedly spotted wearing traditional Chinese clothing and taking photos around Gyeongbokgung Palace, sparking controversy.

A Chinese person can be seen wearing red-toned traditional Chinese clothing.

Looking at the photo on the left, you can see them standing on the Woldae (terrace) of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Professor Seo Kyoung-duk of Sungshin Women's University posted these photos on his social media, stating that he received tips from netizens.

Lately, photos and videos of people wearing Hanfu and shooting at Gyeongbokgung Palace have been continuously uploaded on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and Xiaohongshu.

Professor Seo pointed out that while it is not an issue for Chinese tourists to wear their country's traditional attire while traveling abroad, if the content is circulated without any explanation of the shooting location, users from other countries might mistakenly assume that Hanfu is a traditional Korean costume.

He added that Chinese influencers should exhibit global manners by first respecting the history and culture of other nations.

(Photo courtesy of Professor Seo Kyoung-duk's social media)