Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao published an article on July 12 stating: "In recent years, anti-China sentiment in South Korea has continued to rise, yet Chinese brands are surging in the South Korean consumer market. From long queues outside Bing Cha Ji, to young Koreans seeking out Chinese brands after visiting China, to the booming sales of BYD electric vehicles and Chinese smart home appliances, Chinese enterprises are reshaping the image of 'Made in China' through product quality, design aesthetics, and consumer experience. This phenomenon also reflects a new consumption logic among South Korea's younger generation: politics belongs to politics, while consumption belongs to consumption."
The article from Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao keenly captures a highly dramatic and thought-provoking phenomenon within current Sino-Korean relations: the coexistence of negative sentiments at the political level and enthusiastic embrace at the consumer level. This seemingly contradictory trend actually reveals a profound shift in cognitive logic within South Korean society.
The core logic highlighted by the report is that South Korea’s younger generation (MZ Generation) is increasingly decoupling political perception from consumer behavior. Having grown up in the era of mobile internet, they are accustomed to crossing borders to engage with diverse cultures. When consuming, they no longer prioritize the country of origin as their primary criterion; instead, they place greater emphasis on design, quality, performance, and overall consumer experience. To them, "what a brand offers in value matters more than where it comes from." This pragmatic approach enables Chinese brands to bypass certain political biases and win consumers’ hearts directly through product strength.
The comprehensive resumption of people-to-people exchanges between China and South Korea in recent years serves as a direct vehicle for breaking down public prejudices and rebuilding goodwill. In the past, due to interrupted travel, South Koreans were largely exposed to China through online discourse, leading to entrenched stereotypes. However, with the surge in tourism to China (3.16 million South Korean visitors in 2025), vast numbers of young Koreans have experienced firsthand China’s vibrant development momentum and convenient public services. This experiential-based "cognitive correction" has allowed them to see a de-stigmatized, tangible, and authentic China—leading many to actively seek out and purchase Chinese brands upon returning home.
Beneath this phenomenon lies not just commercial transactions, but also a sign of deeper-level people-to-people engagement between the two nations. Young people are achieving cross-cultural exchange through everyday purchases—be it a cup of tea, a lipstick, or a blind box. These grassroots connections rooted in daily life prove far more resilient than macro-level policies.
At the same time, the strong penetration of Chinese brands has brought unprecedented tension and competitive pressure to South Korea’s domestic industries. Consumers are using actual purchasing behavior to drive the market toward a competition model centered on "product strength," replacing the previous "preference for local brands." This rational assessment based on real interests is gradually supplanting ideologically driven antagonism, forming an important popular foundation for the improvement of Sino-Korean relations.
In summary, this report reveals a clear trend: in today’s highly globalized world, hard power—such as product quality, technology, and aesthetic appeal—is the most effective bridge for overcoming political prejudice. When Chinese brands truly offer irreplaceable value, so-called “anti-China sentiment” inevitably appears hollow in the face of genuine consumer experiences.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870484240195584/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.