Professor Seok Kyung-duk clarifies cultural differences between Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival

Professor Seok Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University has addressed claims by some Chinese netizens that the Korean holiday Chuseok is a theft of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. While both holidays fall on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, Seok emphasizes that their cultural backgrounds, traditions, and symbolic foods are distinct.

According to Seok, Chuseok is centered on giving thanks for the year's harvest and performing ancestral rites or visiting graves. In contrast, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival focuses on making offerings to the moon and praying for family harmony. The distinction is also evident in their representative foods: Korea celebrates with half-moon-shaped Songpyeon, while China consumes round Mooncakes.

The controversy follows previous incidents, such as when Manchester City released a Chuseok-themed video for Korean fans, drawing backlash from Chinese media and netizens. Seok urged a move away from “cultural hegemony” and stated that respecting the unique traditions of other nations is essential for one's own culture to be respected.