Recently, controversy has erupted over the designation of “dolsot bibimbap,” a Korean dish, as a provincial cultural heritage item in China, underscoring significant distortions regarding the Great Wall.
Seo Kyung Deok, a Sungshin Women’s University professor, expressed concern, stating, “Koreans living around the world have reported numerous instances of distortion regarding the Great Wall in China. We have confirmed historical inaccuracies that extend to Pyongyang, North Korea.” He emphasized that the most pressing issue is the inaccurate map of the Great Wall circulating widely on various social media platforms.
Originally constructed during the Qin Dynasty under Emperor Qin Shi Huang to defend against northern nomadic tribes, most of the Great Wall as we know it today dates back to the Ming Dynasty, starting in the 15th century. The Great Wall stretches approximately 3,952 miles (6,352 km) and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
However, following China’s Northeast Project, the stated length of the Great Wall was increased to 5,499 miles (8,851 km) in 2009, and by 2012, it expanded further to 13,124 miles (21,196 km), including walls attributed to the ancient Goguryeo and Balhae kingdoms, now allegedly extending to Pyongyang.
In response to these distortions, Seo announced plans to send protest emails aimed at correcting the misinformation about the Great Wall on Wikipedia. He also indicated that he will continue to run a multilingual video campaign to promote accurate historical information, countering China’s Northeast Project and cultural claims over traditional items such as kimchi and hanbok.
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