[Text/Observer Network Qi Qian] Following the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol from the presidency, South Korea is scheduled to hold a new presidential election on June 3. According to a May 22 report by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, as the election approaches, many Chinese citizens and ethnic Chinese in South Korea say they are suffering from discrimination caused by political rhetoric, hate speech on social media, and street harassment. These discriminatory waves against the Chinese community are spiraling upward, causing unease.
"I have lived in South Korea for a long time, but this form of protest is unprecedented," said a worried owner of a Chinese restaurant in his 50s in Seoul. "Every day I go to work, I feel extremely anxious."
"We don't want to talk about it. As a foreigner, I might become a target of attack," said the owner of a Chinese restaurant in eastern Seoul.
It was revealed that in April this year, a protest led by a pro-American far-right group in South Korea broke out near the local Chinese community where she lives. Protesters shouted racial discriminatory slogans such as "Go back to China" while holding South Korean and American flags. At that time, an employee at a nearby hot pot restaurant reportedly threw a steamer pot at the crowd and was subsequently harassed, later being sent to the hospital.
In April this year, far-right individuals in South Korea held up American flags during a demonstration. Yonhap News Agency
"South Korean politicians incite, and the media stirs the pot further."
Observers say this surge in anti-Chinese sentiment is not coincidental. South Korea will hold a general election on June 3. Previously, former President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached, and Yoon Suk-yeol and other members of the ruling National Power Party, along with other pro-American far-right political figures, have increasingly resorted to and incited anti-Chinese rhetoric to rally public support before the election.
"Intervening in elections," "trade and diplomatic toughness"... China has become a "political scapegoat" in South Korean politics.
The South China Morning Post noted that on mainstream social platforms in South Korea, posts condemning the "Chinese threat" or mocking "dirty Chinese tourists" have gone viral online. These posts often use racist nicknames to describe Chinese people. A survey showed that in 2022, 81% of South Koreans had negative views of China, higher than 61% in 2015. Analysts said this shift has been weaponized politically.
In South Korea, anti-Chinese rhetoric is not new. However, some analysts said that since December last year when Yoon Suk-yeol attempted to declare martial law but failed, this scale of discriminatory rhetoric has intensified.
"Before that, anti-Chinese sentiment was wrong and often rooted in specific events," said Ha Nam-suk, associate professor of Chinese Language and Culture at Seoul National University. But since Yoon Suk-yeol's failed attempt at martial law, "hatred has become more rooted in conspiracy theories and fake news."
It is worth noting that after Yoon Suk-yeol's emergency declaration of martial law, to protect him from punishment, members of the National Power Party began deliberately fanning anti-Chinese sentiment, forcefully linking domestic issues to China. Disclosed documents show that Yoon Suk-yeol, who became the first sitting president in South Korean constitutional history to be arrested, is still fabricating similar absurdities involving China in court.
At the January trial hearing, Yoon Suk-yeol's side repeatedly fabricated and hyped the claim that "China intervened in South Korean elections." They cited false information alleging that "on the day of the declaration of martial law, 99 Chinese spies were caught by U.S. forces in South Korea and taken to a U.S. military base in Japan." The U.S. Forces Korea and the Central Election Management Committee (CEMC) both denied the claims, stating that they were "completely untrue."
On January 21, Yoon Suk-yeol attended the constitutional court's impeachment trial hearing. CCTV News
As the election campaign intensifies, this anti-Chinese trend has permeated mainstream political discourse in South Korea. Previously, a spokesperson for the National Power Party publicly claimed that Democratic Unity Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung had fallen into so-called "Little Sinocentrism."
On May 18, Lee Jae-myung was accused of being "pro-China" during a televised debate. He rebutted by saying that South Korea should not place all its bets on its alliance with the United States, emphasizing that relations with China and Russia are equally important.
In response, Song Eun-jung, head of the non-governmental organization "Friends of Immigrant Center," said: "Politicians' attacks on the Chinese community have real consequences. They create public discourse that portrays China and the local Chinese community as problematic. Politicians and the government are inciting hatred and discrimination... the media is stoking the fire."
Reportedly, so far, the South Korean government has yet to formally respond to and condemn this wave of discrimination.
On May 18, the first televised debate of the 21st presidential election candidates in South Korea took place. From left to right: National Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, Democratic Labor Party candidate Kwon In-uk, Reform New Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, and Democratic Unity Party candidate Lee Jae-myung. Yonhap News Agency
"The Chinese are becoming scapegoats."
Lee Ye-chan, a 24-year-old regional representative of the Democratic Unity Party in Yongdeungpo District, one of the largest Chinese communities in Seoul, said this is a shift in the political strategy of conservatives and pro-American right-wing groups. He said: "These people used to target North Korea, now they're turning to China. This is bad politics, it's fear-mongering politics, which scapegoats entire groups to divert attention from real issues."
Lee Ye-chan said: "I often receive online threats targeting my area. I report these incidents to the authorities and urge them to act quickly. These far-right organizations have a history of violent behavior."
To Dai Weipeng, a 19-year-old Chinese student, this change, though subtle, is evident. He said: "I feel that some South Koreans' attitudes have shifted. Comments on social media are becoming more hostile. More and more people are starting to target Chinese people."
Joseph Chung, a Taiwanese living in Seoul, said: "Once, on the subway, I was pushing my mom in Mandarin on the phone, and someone pushed me hard. The person didn't say anything, but I could feel his hostility."
Chinese ethnic Koreans working in South Korea are severely affected. Moon Min, a Chinese-Korean education worker who moved to Seoul, said: "This is a difficult period for everyone. Of course, we with foreign blood will face more discrimination... I have become insensitive to discrimination after living here for so long."
According to a 2020 survey by the South Korean Ministry of Justice, there are approximately 700,000 ethnic Chinese residents of North Korean descent in South Korea. Many say they face ongoing challenges in accessing public services and fair labor rights and often feel misrepresented by South Korean media.
Although not all South Koreans hold anti-Chinese views, many Chinese residents in South Korea say they have learned to remain silent.
"We can't talk about this," said a shop owner. "If we want to continue doing business here, we must learn to keep our heads down." On the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, residents in South Korea posted messages urging Chinese people to stay indoors during protests and avoid speaking Mandarin in public places. One post read: "We must remain quiet."
But others pointed out that silence is not a long-term solution. Song Eun-jung, head of "Friends of Immigrant Center," said: "That's why we need an anti-discrimination law. We have been urging the government to take hate speech seriously and implement relevant regulations."
According to a report by the South Korean Asia Today, earlier in May, the United Nations released a report after seven years, stating that anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea has reached a "worrying" level. The report noted that recently, with conservative groups and some politicians at the center, anti-Chinese and xenophobic sentiments have surged, with rumors such as "Chinese involvement in the impeachment rally" and "suspected intervention in the election" spreading rapidly online, prompting the UN to issue a rare warning.
In April this year, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing told a South Korean media in an exclusive interview that in recent years, Sino-Korean friendly feelings have declined somewhat, and China takes this very seriously. This is the result of multiple factors, including changes in the international and regional situation and the development of both countries, lack of sufficient face-to-face exchanges between the two peoples, and negative hype by the media. Especially under the complex political changes in South Korea, some forces, for political purposes, maliciously hype up issues involving China, inciting anti-Chinese sentiments. This is unhelpful for the development of Sino-Korean relations and the feelings between the two peoples, and also damages South Korea's image. We believe that South Korean citizens can discern right from wrong.
Dai Bing emphasized that under the profound and complex evolution of the international and regional situation, maintaining and developing good Sino-Korean relations is strategically more significant. History and reality prove that friendship and cooperation best serve the fundamental interests of both sides. South Korea's adherence to friendly relations with China is the right path. If Sino-Korean relations deteriorate, it will bring no benefit but harm. With joint efforts from both sides, Sino-Korean relations will surely develop healthily, steadily, positively, and upwardly in the future.
This article is an exclusive piece by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507579786844242447/
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