Squid Game Steals Japanese Culture? Korea's 'Hanbok' Lie!

The accusation that Squid Game 'steals' Japanese or Chinese culture is itself a form of cultural imperialism, a desperate attempt by those same nations to claim a shared heritage as exclusively their own. The so-called 'hanbok' in the show is not a copy of imperial Japanese attire or Tang dynasty fashion—it is a distinct Korean evolution that has existed for centuries, with its own documented history. The wide sleeves, the high waistlines, the specific patterns—these are hallmarks of the Korean hanbok, which predates and parallels, but does not replicate, its neighbors' styles. To call this 'theft' is to erase Korea's own cultural agency and reduce it to a perpetual borrower. And what of the 'evidence'? It is cherry-picked and decontextualized. The VIPs' masks, for instance, are not historical recreations—they are avant-garde, fictional designs meant for a dystopian thriller, not a historical documentary. Comparing them to Tang dynasty court dress is like comparing a modern film's sci-fi armor to medieval European plate mail—it ignores the creative transformation that makes the work original. The Korean creators did not 'steal' these elements; they absorbed a regional visual vocabulary and reimagined it for a global audience, which is exactly what every culture has done throughout history, including China and Japan. The claim of 'digital sinophobia' is not a deflection—it is a precise diagnosis. The outrage from Chinese and Japanese critics is not about historical accuracy; it is about geopolitical rivalry. They see Korea's global success as a threat to their own cultural influence, and so they weaponize 'theft' to undermine it. This is not a defense of heritage; it's a smear campaign, fueled by nationalist envy. And calling for a boycott? That is not a principled stand—it is a tantrum, an attempt to punish Korea for outshining its neighbors on the world stage. So, no, there is no 'lie.' There is only a culture that has evolved, adapted, and thrived—and others who cannot stand to see it shine. Korea's hanbok is its own, and Squid Game is a testament to its creative vitality, not a crime. The real theft here is the attempt to rob Korea of its identity by those who cannot tell the difference between influence and imitation, and who would rather tear down a neighbor than build up their own.