To bow, or not to bow: Should Chinese K-pop stars adhere to Korean culture?

[waves_of_light]

Anti-China sentiment triggered by recent Olympic controversies has spilled over to the K-pop scene, with internet users from Korea and China fiercely quarreling over whether Chinese K-pop stars should bow like Koreans even though both cultures have different customs

Comments

[lulufairybubble]

No they should not have to bow. I remember on Weekly Idol they made EXO-M do a deep bow(down on the knees). They got major backlash(rightfully so) so then they stopped having Chinese idols do that.

[mortkero]

This should not even be a question, it's so depressing.

[xoxkenzxox]

I don't even like Korean idols being forced to bow (especially deep bows). I feel it's pretty degrading.

[belintuchiha]

I feel like if you’re moving to a country, you should take after their traditions and whatnot, why else would you be there? And if you don’t like it then don’t do it but don’t expect no backlash. Needless to say, it’s not my culture so I don’t know how serious this tradition is that people take it too serious or not enough.

[neoreulwonhae]

I can totally see both sides but my instinct is to say that they should bow. Not dramatic prostrating all the way to the floor if they don't want to, but just the polite greeting style. Think of all the other foreign K-pop stars - Americans don't bow, Canadians don't bow, Australians don't bow, etc., but they do in Korea because they're in in K-pop groups, singing in Korea, promoting in Korea, interacting with Korean media. So I can totally see cultural relativity and that some cultures bow and some don't and that's fine, but it is K-pop and you're living and working in Korea so I think you should follow those cultural norms, at least when you're participating in your official work obligations (interviews, concerts, etc.). As far as being proud of your own country, or even acknowledging your own country, obviously you should be able to, but I also totally understand why Koreans are not happy with anything Chinese right now (and me too honestly).