SEOUL (Reuters). South Korean activists and politicians have criticised China’s cultural appropriation after a woman wearing traditional Korean dress was seen among the representatives of China’s various ethnic groups at the Beijing Winter Games’ opening ceremony on Friday.

China hosts approximately two million ethnic Koreans. Half of them live along the Chinese border to North Korea.

South Koreans are furious over claims by China that Korean cultural elements such as kimchi (a Korean dish with fermented cabbage), and traditional Korean clothing called hanbok were Chinese-inspired.

Lee So-young, ruling party lawmaker and member of the NASDAQ: Facebook page stated that “we deeply regretted that hanbok appeared amongst the costumes of Chinese minority at the Beijing Winter Olympics’ opening ceremony.” She was referring to a female wearing a pink top and white dress as she passed by the Chinese flag.

It is not the first instance that China has adopted Korean culture. Lee stated that if the anti-China sentiment in Korea grows stronger, this will make it difficult to conduct diplomacy with China.

Lee Jae-myung (the ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate in March) wrote late Friday on his Facebook page, “Don’t covet our” culture. “Deplore cultural appropriation.”

People Power Party (the main opposition) called the costumes’ appearance “rude”, claiming that it was an act of taking over the culture and history of a sovereign nation. It is a statement which goes against the Games’ motto of “together for the common future”.

Seo Kyoungduk (a South Korean activist and professor who teaches at Sungshin Women’s University) wrote that “we cannot be angry but we must make the world aware that hanbok are a traditional Korean clothing.”

South Korea’s government hasn’t made an official statement. However, Culture Minister Hwang Shee said to South Korean media that calling people a minority implies it isn’t a sovereign nation. This could lead to “misunderstandings” in bilateral relations according to Yonhap.