Why Hanfu Culture Sparks Global Debate

Hanfu culture is taking the world by storm in 2025, with Chinese traditional clothing captivating global audiences. VOGUE recently fueled the Hanfu fashion frenzy with a social media post celebrating its rise in China, but the response from some South Korean netizens sparked a fiery Hanbok controversy. Claiming Hanfu derives from Hanbok, the backlash grew so intense that Japanese netizens chimed in, urging calm. This drama highlights the passion behind Chinese cultural heritage and the complexities of cultural identity. Let’s dive into why Hanfu culture is at the

Hanbok’s historical ties to Ming-era Hanfu reveal a shared past. For a systematic study of Hanfu’s evolution across dynasties, refer to the foundational resource.

Guide to Traditional Chinese Clothing – Hanfu

VOGUE Celebrates Hanfu Culture

According to a report from The Paper, VOGUE shared a post hyping up Hanfu, describing it as the iconic clothing style from ancient China’s Han-ruled eras. They pointed out how the “Hanfu movement” is led by China’s fashion-forward youth, with Hanfu enthusiasts jumping from 3.56 million in 2019 to over 6 million in 2020—nearly double! It’s no surprise, since Hanfu’s flowing robes, intricate designs, and cultural vibes are all over social media, winning hearts worldwide.

VOGUE’s post, cited by The Paper (source: https://www.thepaper.cn/), hailed Hanfu as Chinese traditional clothing from Han-ruled eras, driven by China’s youth. The Hanfu fashion movement surged from 3.56 million enthusiasts in 2019 to over 6 million in 2020, nearly doubling, thanks to its elegant robes and intricate designs. Shared across platforms like Weibo, Hanfu culture’s global appeal shines. Yet, some Korean netizens flooded VOGUE’s comments, alleging Hanfu stems from Hanbok and accusing the magazine of distorting history, igniting the Hanbok controversy.

But instead of joining the celebration, a bunch of Korean netizens flipped out. They flooded VOGUE’s comments with claims like, “Hanfu came from Hanbok!” and accused the magazine of “distorting history.” Yikes. The outrage was next-level, with some even hurling insults at VOGUE for daring to call Hanfu a Chinese tradition.

The issue has spread to the Korean forum “the qoo,” where many Korean netizens continue to criticize and distort history. Some even called for Korean netizens to report the VOGUE post in question.

Several Korean media outlets have also jumped on the bandwagon. The Korean website Insight reported, “VOGUE described Korean clothing as Hanfu, calling it one of China’s traditional garments,” adding that “many netizens expressed disappointment over VOGUE‘s repeated references to Hanfu.”

Another Korean outlet, Daily Safety News (매일안전신문), echoed Insight‘s stance, using the headline “Korean Clothing = Chinese Traditional Garment.”

Hanfu vs. Hanbok: What’s the Real Story?

Let’s clear things up. Hanfu, short for “Han ethnic traditional clothing,” also known as hanyiguan or huafu, is the attire of China’s Han people, rooted in the cultural and ritual traditions from the Yellow Emperor’s reign to the mid-17th century (late Ming to early Qing). Think elegant robes, wide sleeves, and designs that scream Chinese heritage.

Hanbok, on the other hand, traces back to Korea’s Three Kingdoms period, specifically the Goguryeo kingdom in what’s now northern Korea and parts of Northeast China. Hanbok as we know it took shape during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, which lines up with China’s Ming Dynasty. Fun fact: Joseon royalty often wore clothing gifted by Ming emperors, called “cifu” (granted attire). So, historically, Hanbok was influenced by Ming-style hanfu, not the other way around.

The Chinese Academy of History published an article titled The Truth About Hanbok: “Clothing and Artifacts All Aligned with China”, which, after reviewing various sources including historical documents and artifacts, refuted claims by stating: “Hanbok took shape during the Joseon Dynasty, corresponding to China’s Ming Dynasty. The attire of Joseon royalty was bestowed by the Ming emperor, known as ‘Ming Dynasty granted clothing.’

During cultural exchanges, Hanbok adopted and adapted many features of Ming Dynasty clothing. In other words, ancient Korea lacked its own clothing system and developed what we now see in historical Korean dramas by refining Ming Dynasty attire.”

Additionally, renowned Korean fashion designer Jang Myung-sook stated on a variety show that Korean clothing originated from China, and the style of Korean kings’ ceremonial attire was expected to match the rank of a Chinese emperor’s son.

Korea’s Not New to This Hanfu Drama

This isn’t Korea’s first rodeo when it comes to stirring the pot over Hanfu. Back in April 2021, a group called the Asian American Youth Council (AAYC), made up of Korean-American teens, started lobbying U.S. politicians and local governments to establish a “Hanbok Day.” Their goal? Get everyone to agree that Hanbok is Korea’s traditional clothing so they could argue that Hanfu can’t be claimed as Chinese. Bold move, right?

That same month, Korean shoe brand Lakai dropped a comic showing people in Hanbok chowing down on hot pot, xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), and mala tang (spicy noodle soup)—classic Chinese dishes. The comic claimed, “Our ancestors have loved hot pot, dim sum, and mala tang since ancient times.” They even threw in “historical evidence” suggesting Chinese clothing was influenced by Korea’s Goryeo Dynasty, kimchi originated in Korea, and the Joseon people wore Hanbok before China’s Ming Dynasty was even a thing. Talk about rewriting history!

Then, in July 2021, a Korean online group called VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea) went after Chinese online encyclopedias for describing Hanbok as “traditional clothing of the Korean ethnic group” and noting that it “inherited features of Ming-style hanfu.” VANK sent letters demanding edits, attaching Collins Dictionary’s definition of Hanbok as “Korean traditional clothing” as proof. It’s like they were on a mission to erase any connection between Hanbok and Chinese influence.

Japan’s Like, “Hold Up, Korea”

Someone used Chinese, English, and Korean to educate Korean netizens about history.

Korea’s heated reaction to VOGUE’s Hanfu post didn’t just raise eyebrows in China—Japanese netizens couldn’t believe it either. Some took to social media to call it out, with one writing, “Korean dynasties were under direct Chinese rule or vassal states for centuries…” Another got straight to the point, saying Korea’s been “borrowing” heavily from Chinese and Japanese culture to build its national identity and “get over an inferiority complex.” Ouch. When even Japan’s side-eyeing you, you know it’s gotten real.

Why This Matters

The whole Hanfu-Hanbok spat isn’t just about clothes—it’s about cultural pride and history. Hanfu’s rise is a celebration of China’s heritage, and VOGUE’s shout-out was a nod to its global appeal. Korea’s pushback, though, shows how sensitive cultural ownership can be, especially when history gets tangled up in modern debates. But let’s be real: Hanfu and Hanbok are both gorgeous, unique traditions, and there’s room for everyone to shine without tearing each other down.

While debates on cultural ownership persist, initiatives like the cross-strait Hanfu exchange in Taiwan prove clothing can bridge divides. Witness this harmony at 《Hanfu Culture: Cross-Strait Exchange at Taoyuan Lantern Festival》