TWS' Hanjin recently received public criticism for referring to kimchi as "pao cai". That is the term used by Chinese people for their pickled vegetables. The idol also received criticism from a popular Korean professor named Seo Kyung Duk.
The controversy began on February 1, 2025 KST when Hanjin responded to a fan's question on the platform Weverse. The idol was asked, "Did you eat?". Hanjin answered, "I ate kimchi jjigae," but added the Chinese term "pao cai" in parentheses.
Pao Cai is a Chinese pickled vegetable dish that is different from kimchi. In 2021, South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially designated "xin qi" as the proper Chinese translation for kimchi, in order to strengthen cultural identity. As a result, Hanjin received criticism from netizens.
Then on February 5, 2025, professor Kyung Duk wrote a lengthy criticism of the idol. The professor initially wrote, "I have received a lot of reports about this." "TWS Hanjin members labeled kimchi as 'pao cai' when communicating with fans on social apps, which has sparked controversy," he added.
Professor Kyung Duk then explained that Chinese people mistakenly think kimchi is the same as pao cai. "As many people know, Korean kimchi and Chinese 'pao cai' are completely different foods.
China has wrongly claimed that kimchi originated from 'pao cai' and insisted that it is part of their culture," the professor added. Professor Kyung Duk further asserted that Hanjin had made a mistake by calling kimchi the same as pao cai.
"Given the circumstances, Hanjin's choice of words is undeniably a mistake. As a public figure with significant influence, he should have been more careful and considerate of Korean cultural sentiments," he continued.
Finally, Professor Kyung Duk stressed the importance of preventing similar incidents in the future. "This is not the first time that celebrities active in Korea and China have mislabeled kimchi as 'pao cai' in videos or social media posts," he said.
"We need to be more vigilant to prevent China from using such cases as leverage in cultural disputes," Professor Kyung Duk concluded. Hanjin has since deleted its comments, but the idol and agency have yet to provide clarification.
Meanwhile, TWS debuted in January 2024 under Pledis Entertainment. The group last made a comeback by releasing the single "Last Bell" on November 25, 2024. TWS was also recently appointed as a brand ambassador for the popular brand Celine.
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