Complaint to correct ‘hanbok’ display unanswered, Seo Kyoung-duk says
A prominent Korean activist has renewed his demand for action over an Australian exhibition that he claims misrepresents a Chinese garment as Korean.
Seo Kyoung-duk said Friday that the Australian War Memorial has yet to respond to his complaints from last year, which called on the Canberra-based museum to remove a top displayed as traditional Korean clothing.
“The collar, hems, color and embroidery of the piece all suggest Chinese origin,” Seo said. “I’ve made it clear to the museum that traditional Korean clothing is ‘hanbok.’”
Seo, a Sungshin Women’s University liberal arts professor known for promoting Korea and its cultural heritage misrepresented overseas, expressed frustration over the museum’s inaction. He warned that such errors could lead to misleading understandings about Korean heritage.
He also highlighted concerns over China’s growing efforts to claim aspects of Korean heritage as its own, emphasizing the urgency of correcting the display.
“The campaign for hanbok continues,” Seo said.
