Taiwanese tourists: Wear "I am Taiwanese" badges in South Korea to avoid mistreatment

Translation : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Taiwanese tourists visiting South Korea wear "I am Taiwanese" badges to avoid being mistaken for Chinese and mistreated. South Korean media exposes anti-China sentiment

Financial Channel reports / https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5211101 / Image : With anti-China sentiment rising among South Koreans, Taiwanese tourists are choosing to wear badges identifying themselves as Taiwanese to avoid being mistaken for Chinese citizens and facing inappropriate treatment. (From the internet)

Amid growing anti-China sentiment in South Korea, Taiwanese tourists are opting to wear badges identifying themselves as Taiwanese to avoid being mistaken for Chinese citizens and facing inappropriate treatment.

South Korean media reports indicate that a badge with the words "I am Taiwanese" in Korean, alongside the Taiwanese flag, has appeared on social media, citing rising anti-China sentiment in South Korea.

Many Taiwanese users responded that South Koreans often have difficulty distinguishing between Chinese and Taiwanese tourists. Some said they noticed a significant difference in the way store employees treated them after wearing the badges.

Anti-China protests have intensified in recent weeks. Last Friday, a conservative civil society group gathered near the Chinese Communist Embassy in Myeongdong, central Seoul, chanting slogans such as "Eradicate anti-government forces" and "Resist Chinese influence" while verbally abusing Chinese citizens.

Despite growing protests in South Korea, the country is continuing to allow Chinese tourists visa-free entry to boost inbound tourism. The South Korean government will allow Chinese tour groups of three or more to enter visa-free starting 29 September 2025. The policy will last until 30 June 2026. On 29 September 2025, about 270 people held another rally in Yeouido, west of Seoul, demanding an investigation into the recent fire at the National Information Resources Service Center and protesting the government's visa-free policy for Chinese tourists. Some participants wore clothing emblazoned with anti-China slogans, including "Heaven will destroy the Chinese Communist Party."