G-Dragon faces backlash from Chinese netizens over ‘Lunar New Year’ greeting
G-Dragon performs during the encore concert of his “Ubermensch” world tour at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro District, Seoul, on Dec. 14, 2025. Yonhap
K-pop star G-Dragon has come under fire from Chinese netizens after referring to the Lunar New Year during an overseas concert, with some accusing him of mislabeling what they call Chinese New Year.
The controversy arose following his appearance at the “Krazy Super Concert” music festival held Feb. 17 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. While greeting the audience on stage, G-Dragon offered seasonal greetings and mentioned the Lunar New Year.
Online criticism quickly followed, particularly among Chinese internet users, who argued that the holiday should be referred to as “Chinese New Year” and accused the singer of distorting Chinese culture.
The issue drew renewed attention after Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University, said Sunday that he had received a tip from a netizen regarding the backlash. The incident was also reported by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post on Feb. 28.
According to reports, criticism intensified after a Chinese idol who appeared as a special guest at the same event used the term Chinese New Year in a separate greeting.
Chinese netizens described G-Dragon’s remarks as a betrayal of Chinese fans, insisting that the holiday originated in China and should be called by its “proper name.”
Seo dismissed the claims as excessive.
“The Lunar New Year is not exclusive to China but is celebrated across various Asian countries,” he said.
He noted that The New York Times recently explained on its official social media account that the Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in several Asian nations — known as the Spring Festival in China, Seollal in Korea and Tet in Vietnam.
“Chinese netizens should learn to respect other countries’ cultures first,” Seo added.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.