Opening ceremony costumes honor not shame

Even the best chef cannot cater to all tastes. While most of the world marveled at the splendid opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Friday, some in the Republic of Korea grumbled about a performer wearing traditional Korean costume appearing in a performance at the ceremony.

They take that as a proof of China's "cultural robbery" of their country, expressing concerns that China is using the Olympics to legitimize its "theft" of Korean history and culture.

In an age valuing cultural diversity, these voices have their positive side as they reflect the pride they take in their own culture.

Yet, their worries are apparently overstretched this time, and their speculation on China's motive of arranging a performer wearing traditional Korean costumes in the opening ceremony does not hold water.

China has 56 ethnic groups, including Korean, Mongolian, Kazakh and Russian, and in that performance each performer represented one ethnic group wearing their respective traditional costumes.

That kind of performance representing the unity of the big family, involving performers of all ethnic groups in China, is a common feature of the nation's repertoire for performances staged for high-profile international and national events.

The Chinese government has always respected and protected the customs and lawful rights and interests of all ethnic groups. It is not only their wish but also their right for representatives of all ethnic groups in China to wear their traditional costumes to attend the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

The Korean ethnic group in China and the Koreans living in the Korean Peninsula are of the same origin and share a common traditional culture, including clothing. The Korean culture is not exclusive to the Koreans of the ROK.

China respects the historical and cultural traditions of the ROK and hopes that the ROK can also respect the feelings of all ethnic groups in China, including the Korean ethnic group.

China and the ROK are friendly neighbors and active promoters of the international Olympic cause, and the two sides have maintained close exchanges and cooperation in the field of sports, and have supported and expressed solidarity with each other in the preparations for the Pyeongchang and Beijing Winter Olympics.

As a statement the Chinese embassy in the ROK issued on Monday in response to the fuss indicates, that fully embodies the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries and the united Olympic family and contributes to the continuous development of bilateral relations.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the ROK and the Year of China-ROK Cultural Exchanges. It is to be hoped that the two sides can make joint efforts to deepen cooperation in various fields, promote friendly feelings between the two peoples and push bilateral relations to a new level.

Any attempt to restrict a culture to a certain country or region is to stifle its development and fossilize its content, as the vitality of a culture requires inclusiveness and adaptability.