Would you?
The Korean Keun Jeol, a style of bowing in which individuals bow down on the floor with their hands and knees expressing a respectful greeting for the new year to their elders or those they love, was a popular topic of discussion among Chinese netizens earlier this year.
Earlier last month, a Korean netizen started a new discussion on this topic in a major Korean internet forum. "So Ningning doesn't bow," the netizen wrote in his post, sparking a firestorm of debate among his fellow Korean netizens. aespa member NingNing refused to bow during the new year's welcome in two gifs that were included in the post.
This is a result of Chinese culture, which dictates that one can only bow to the skies, the earth, or one's parents in this manner. While the other members of the group are doing the Keun Jeol, many Chinese idols are observed not bowing at all.
When other members of a Chinese idol troupe are bowing, there has been much debate about whether or not it is appropriate for the idols to bow as well. Many Korean netizens have weighed in on this issue, and the debate is once again raging.
"Seeing only Chinese idols do that, I feel they aren't taught to appreciate other cultures, maybe that's why they're always stealing," one netizen wrote. If they don't appreciate Korean culture, why do they want to be idols in Korea? In Korea, they're looking to make a living yet they're unwilling to respect Korean culture, according to As the saying goes, "If you're going to Rome, act like a Roman." China should be their idol if they don't respect Korean culture, not Korea," he said. "The other members of the other groups who were caught without bowing at least proudly just stood there, but she's being sneaky and pretending to laugh and be humorous," said the narrator. Many Chinese idols earn some recognition in Korea and then return to China as top stars, and "Other idols from Thailand, Japan, and other nations never have issues with Korean customs, but only Chinese idols make a huge deal."