‘I’m from Taiwan’ badge emerges in South Korea amid anti-China sentiment

SEOUL - Amid ongoing anti-Chinese protests by far-right groups in South Korea, a badge reading “I am Taiwanese” has emerged among Taiwanese visitors to the country, according to local news reports on Oct 15.

Last week, a Taiwanese social media user posted on Threads asking, “There is anti-Chinese sentiment in Korea recently. Should I wear this badge?” alongside a photo.

The badge features a cartoon character holding the Taiwanese flag, with the words “I’m from Taiwan” in English and “I’m Taiwanese” in Korean.

The post drew widespread attention.

One commenter wrote, “It seems effective because you can’t tell by appearance,” while another said, “I feel ashamed that such a badge is even necessary.”

One user, who identified as Chinese, asked, “I am Chinese, but can I avoid harm if I wear that badge?”

In April, a 30-year-old man assaulted two Chinese women in their 20s who were speaking Mandarin on a bus.

Five days later, the same man struck a Taiwanese man in the head with a soju bottle, mistaking him for Chinese.

Following the government’s recent decision to allow Chinese nationals to enter without visas, anti-Chinese protests have taken place in several parts of Seoul.

Earlier in October, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned such behaviour, calling it “self-destructive conduct that damages the national interest and image,” and urged an end to public displays of hatred toward people from specific countries.

As of Aug, 1 in 3 tourists to South Korea were Chinese, according to government data.

The number of Chinese tourists that month reached 605,000, 1.7 times higher than the 364,000 recorded in January. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK