Nongshim, South Korea's largest instant noodle maker, has decided to remove a Chinese term for kimchi from its noodle product packaging in the United States. The move aims to avoid any association between the Korean fermented side dish and China, dismissing the controversial claim by China regarding kimchi's origin. The decision follows a question raised by Professor Seo Kyoung-duk, who advocated for the removal of the Chinese character from the products, emphasizing the importance of using accurate terminology amid China's campaign to claim itself as the origin of kimchi.
Although the use of the Chinese character on the noodle products did not violate any laws or regulations, Nongshim opted to eliminate it to prevent any potential reinforcement of China's claim. Kimchi, a staple in Korean cuisine, has been at the center of a contentious debate, with China asserting that it originated from pao cai, a type of brine-pickled vegetables from northeastern China. South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism officially designated kimchi as "xinqi" in Chinese to address the issue, and Nongshim's decision aligns with efforts to maintain accuracy in terminology and dispel any misinformation surrounding kimchi's origins.
(Image:nongshim.com)
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South Korea