Chinese flags spotted on Jeju’s Udo Island spark online stir

The Chinese national flag and the Korean flag are seen side by side on a beach in Udo, Jeju Province, in this video still shared by a social media user who claimed to have filmed it on Tuesday. Captured from Threads

A recent incident involving the Chinese national flag displayed alongside South Korea’s flag on a beach road on Udo Island, Jeju Province, has triggered an online backlash.

Videos circulated on platforms such as Threads and X (formerly known as Twitter) showed rows of red flags fluttering next to the Korean national flag on the coastal road to Hagosudong Beach, a popular tourist destination.

The footage, taken on Tuesday, was posted by a Korean user who said they spotted the display while touring the island.

“I don’t know why the Chinese flags were there, but Chinese tourists were lining up to take photos with them,” the poster wrote, expressing concern over the scene.

According to local authorities, the flags were not installed by the government but appeared to be set up by a private individual.

“We were unaware of the situation until the footage spread online,” an Udo township official told local media. “By the time our staff visited the site, the flags had already been removed.”

The response online has been largely critical. Many users questioned the appropriateness of displaying foreign national flags on Korean soil without clear context.

“Why are Chinese flags flying on our land?” read one comment. Others framed the incident as a sign of increasing Chinese influence on Jeju Island.

However, a few users speculated it may have been a marketing attempt aimed at Chinese tourists, who frequent Udo and share photos of the island on their social media. “Maybe it was just a tourist gimmick, no need to overreact,” one user said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.