Taiwanese Tourists Wear Identity Badges as Anti China Protests Spread in South Korea

A Small Badge Reflects Growing Unease in Seoul

Taiwanese tourists are putting badges on backpacks and jackets in Seoul and other South Korean tourist hubs to identify their nationality amid protests targeting Chinese visitors. The buttons display Taiwan's flag, the words "I am from Taiwan" in English and "I am Taiwanese" in Korean. For travelers who speak Mandarin, they offer a quick way to explain where they come from when language or appearance leads someone to assume they are from mainland China.

As of November 7, 2025, the trend has brought together several concerns: a renewed wave of anti China rallies, violent attacks on Mandarin speakers and the return of large numbers of Chinese tourists. The attacks have been rare but widely discussed. Their visibility has made some Taiwanese visitors more cautious about shopping, speaking Mandarin or passing through areas where protesters gather.

South Korea began allowing entry without a visa for organized Chinese tour groups on September 29. The program, which covers groups of three or more people and runs through June 30, 2026, is intended to support tourism and retail after the disruption caused by the pandemic. Small but vocal protests have spread since its introduction.

President Lee Jae Myung has condemned public hostility toward people because of their nationality. His government has also instructed police to act when demonstrations turn into incitement, intimidation or violence. Taiwanese travelers are responding at a more personal level, using a small identity marker to navigate an uneasy moment in places that remain popular with foreign visitors.

How a Threads Post Turned Into a Badge Trend

A short question on Threads helped bring the badges to wider attention. A user posted a photograph of one and asked: "There is anti Chinese sentiment in Korea recently. Should I wear this badge?" Replies arrived from users in Taiwan and South Korea, turning a personal travel concern into a broader discussion about nationality and safety.

Many respondents said people could not reliably distinguish Taiwanese visitors from mainland Chinese visitors by appearance. They suggested that a sticker or pin might make an explanation easier. Others described the need for such identification as sad. One user who identified as Chinese asked whether wearing the badge could keep him safe, showing that the anxiety extended beyond Taiwanese travelers.

The design features a cartoon character holding Taiwan's red, white and blue flag. Its English and Korean wording makes the message easy to spot on a bag, jacket or lanyard. After the discussion spread online, the designer reported a sudden increase in orders.

Taiwanese users exchanged practical information about where to buy the badge and Korean phrases that could politely identify their origin. Some recalled displaying similar flags in Japan during the early years of the pandemic to avoid confusion and uncomfortable encounters. Other travelers preferred a short conversation in Korean to wearing a visible marker.

Where the Protests Are Taking Place

Seoul's anti China street demonstrations have risen and fallen for years. The latest increase followed the easing of entry rules for Chinese tour groups, bringing rallies to areas that tourists use for shopping, sightseeing and transport.

Demonstrators have gathered near the Chinese Embassy in Myeongdong and in Yeouido. Placards have carried slogans including "Korea for Koreans" and "Stop the Chinese Boats." Chants recorded at the demonstrations have included racial slurs.

The crowds have numbered in the hundreds rather than the thousands. Their locations nevertheless make them conspicuous to visitors who may encounter a rally while walking between shops or subway stations. For Taiwanese tourists, sharing a language with many mainland Chinese travelers can make these encounters particularly uncomfortable.

Hard line activists oppose what they see as Chinese influence and have directed anger toward the government's tourism policy. Conservative activist groups continue to organize demonstrations, although they do not represent mainstream opinion. Anti China slogans may attract supporters at rallies, while most everyday encounters between Koreans and foreign visitors remain polite and welcoming.

The Visa Program and the Tourism Recovery

South Korea's new entry arrangement allows Chinese tour groups of at least three people to visit without a visa. Introduced on September 29, it is scheduled to continue through June 30, 2026. Policy makers see the program as a bridge toward a fuller tourism recovery after long pandemic disruptions.

Government figures show that Chinese tourists accounted for roughly one third of foreign arrivals as of August. Figures from the Korea Tourism Organization and the Ministry of Justice also put the Chinese share of visitors this year at about one in three. That makes Chinese travelers a substantial part of the customer base for businesses serving foreign tourists.

About 605,000 Chinese nationals visited in August, around 1.7 times the January figure. Put simply, August's total was about 70 percent higher than January's. October entries exceeded 525,000 and were higher than in the same month a year earlier. Visitor flows are still rebuilding, but they already exceed some benchmarks from before the pandemic.

Myeongdong, Namdaemun and Dongdaemun depend on foreign shoppers, including many from mainland China. Airlines, hotels, duty free shops and small merchants benefit when tour buses return. Tourism is a major economic engine, so hostility toward visitors creates a practical concern for businesses as well as a public safety issue.

The policy also sits alongside other measures intended to revive tourism. Its economic purpose has collided with political anger, leaving the government trying to keep travel open while addressing demonstrations that can make visitors feel unwelcome.

Attacks That Made Travelers More Cautious

In April, a man in his 30s confronted two Chinese women on a Seoul bus because they were speaking Mandarin. He followed them when they left the bus and assaulted them. Five days later, the same man attacked a Taiwanese visitor outside a restaurant in Mapo District after mistaking him for Chinese, striking him on the head with a soju bottle.

A district court sentenced the attacker to 10 months in prison in August. The court described the offenses as motivated by hostility toward Chinese nationals and explained why it regarded the deliberate targeting as a hate crime.

The defendant harbored hostility toward Chinese nationals and deliberately targeted Chinese individuals at night, which constitutes a hate crime and warrants a severe punishment

The Taiwanese victim's experience gives the badge discussion a concrete foundation. A person speaking Mandarin was mistaken for someone from mainland China and then attacked. For travelers worried about a similar misunderstanding, a visible statement of nationality can feel like a useful way to communicate quickly.

Other incidents have added to the anxiety. In mid September, two Korean men assaulted a Taiwanese content creator in Hongdae's nightlife area after she rejected their advances, leaving her injured. Police initially misstated the suspects' nationality and later corrected the record.

Days later in Taipei, an intoxicated Korean man attacked a Taiwanese student near a bus stop after mistakenly associating a design on the student's T-shirt with wartime symbolism. These incidents were unrelated, with different circumstances and triggers. Together, they have kept attention on how misunderstandings, prejudice and confrontations can turn violent.

The Dates Behind the Current Concern

The events stretch across several months. The April attacks and the August sentence came before the new tourism policy, while the September incidents and the subsequent protests added to travelers' unease.

• April 2025: A man assaulted two Chinese women after confronting them over speaking Mandarin on a Seoul bus. Five days later, he attacked a Taiwanese visitor in Mapo District with a soju bottle.
• August 2025: A district court sentenced the attacker to 10 months in prison. Chinese visitor arrivals that month reached about 605,000.
• Mid September 2025: Two Korean men assaulted a Taiwanese content creator in Hongdae after she rejected their advances. Days later, an intoxicated Korean man attacked a Taiwanese student in Taipei over a misunderstood T-shirt design.
• September 29, 2025: South Korea introduced entry without a visa for Chinese tour groups of three or more people.
• Early October 2025: The Ministry of the Interior and Safety instructed national police to take active enforcement measures when rallies involved hate speech or physical intimidation.
• October 2025: Chinese entries exceeded 525,000, an increase from a year earlier.
• November 2025: President Lee condemned the conduct behind hate rallies as damaging to South Korea's interests and image.
• June 30, 2026: The visa program for Chinese tour groups is scheduled to end.

The badge discussion has developed against this sequence of violence, policy changes and public demonstrations. The precise date of the Threads post was not given.

What Lee and the Police Have Said

President Lee Jae Myung has called for an end to xenophobic rallies, meaning demonstrations that express hostility toward people because they are foreign. He has warned that scapegoating foreigners damages South Korea and said the government would not tolerate public hate directed at particular nationalities.

In remarks this month, Lee described the behavior as harmful to the country, calling it:

self-destructive conduct that damages the national interest and image

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety instructed national police in early October to take active enforcement measures when demonstrations moved into hate speech or physical intimidation. The ministry warned that sustained hate events could undermine public safety and damage relations with other countries.

Police have increased monitoring in busy tourist areas and near foreign diplomatic compounds. Authorities must protect public order while also allowing people to express political views. The government's response focuses on enforcing the law when protests cross into incitement or violence.

Civic leaders and ordinary Koreans have also pushed back. Many have posted apologies to affected visitors and urged others to reject blanket hostility toward people from another country. Lee has framed the response as a matter of national dignity, linking the treatment of visitors to how South Korea presents itself abroad.

Why Language and Identity Matter

Taiwan and mainland China share deep linguistic ties. Mandarin is widely spoken in both places, while many Taiwanese people also speak Taiwanese Hokkien or Hakka. A passerby in Seoul often cannot tell where a Mandarin speaker comes from simply by hearing the language.

Protest rhetoric that treats Chinese people as a single group can make that uncertainty consequential. The badge supplies a brief introduction without requiring a conversation. For some Taiwanese tourists, it is a way to reduce the chance that their language will lead someone to assume their nationality.

Lin Yung pin, a Taiwanese tour guide who regularly takes groups through Myeongdong, advises visitors to keep some form of identification available when crowds gather, including a badge or small sign. He described the advice he gives travelers:

If they get mistaken as Chinese and harassed, they can show it and be left alone. I also tell people to avoid speaking Mandarin near protests.

Several Taiwanese visitors say clerks and drivers respond differently once they know where a customer is from. Some describe receiving friendlier service after displaying a small Taiwanese flag or an "I am from Taiwan" badge. Others prefer to explain their nationality in Korean.

The discussion also touches on how hostility can grow. The framework known as a pyramid of hate describes a progression from prejudiced jokes, slurs and biased language to exclusion at school or work, then vandalism or threats, and finally outright violence. South Korea is nowhere near the most extreme end of that spectrum, but making verbal abuse seem normal can increase the risk of harm.

Travel Precautions During the Protests

Most visits to South Korea proceed without incident. Travelers seeking extra peace of mind can take practical steps to avoid confrontations and make it easier to obtain help if something goes wrong.

A badge can communicate identity quickly, while a passport copy, hotel details and emergency contacts serve different needs. Keeping those items accessible allows a traveler to explain who they are, identify where they are staying and contact assistance without searching through luggage.

• Avoid planned protest areas and spontaneous gatherings. If a rally appears ahead, change direction early and leave plenty of space.
• Carry identification in more than one form, such as a passport copy and a hotel card with contact details.
• Save a short Korean note on your phone stating that you are from Taiwan, and show it when you need to explain your origin.
• Travel with a friend after dark in entertainment districts. Use streets with good lighting and known taxi stands.
• Call 112 for police or 119 for medical emergencies. Ask hotel staff for help when Korean language support is needed.
• Keep the contact details of your embassy or de facto representative office available.
• If confronted, avoid arguing. Move toward a shop, hotel lobby or police booth and seek help.
• If you wear a badge, use it as a way to introduce yourself and remain alert in crowded places.

Tourists passing through Myeongdong or nightlife districts can combine these precautions with ordinary travel routines. The practical aim is to stay away from tense gatherings, make identification easy and reach assistance promptly if a confrontation develops.

Tourism and Diplomacy Meet on the Street

President Lee has outlined a pragmatic approach to China while keeping South Korea's alliance with the United States at the center of security policy. China remains South Korea's largest trading partner, making relations with Beijing important to both diplomacy and the economy.

Seoul is also preparing to host senior visitors in the region around the Asia Pacific economic meetings. Protests targeting Chinese nationals have become a sensitive task for authorities balancing freedom of expression, public order and the treatment of foreign guests.

Public skepticism toward Beijing runs deep. Surveys show large majorities of Koreans hold unfavorable views of China, shaped by disputes over history, trade pressure and maritime issues. Those political attitudes exist alongside the commercial benefits of welcoming Chinese visitors.

Taiwan generally has a positive profile in Korean culture through food, film and travel. Taiwanese tourists continue to visit city markets and coastal towns, and the vast majority of their encounters are polite and welcoming. Their new interest in identity badges reflects concern about particular settings and incidents during a tense period.

The government wants returning visitors to support shops, hotels and transport businesses. Taiwanese travelers want to enjoy the same destinations without being drawn into hostility directed at mainland China. The small badge brings those wider tensions down to a simple message about the person wearing it.

Key Points

• Taiwanese visitors are wearing badges with Taiwan's flag and messages in English and Korean to identify their nationality amid anti China protests.
• A Threads discussion helped spread the trend, and the designer reported a sudden increase in orders.
• South Korea introduced entry without a visa for Chinese tour groups of at least three people on September 29. The program runs through June 30, 2026.
• Chinese visitors account for about one third of foreign arrivals. August arrivals were about 605,000, while October entries exceeded 525,000.
• A man received a prison sentence of 10 months in August for April attacks on Chinese women and a Taiwanese visitor whom he mistook for Chinese.
• President Lee Jae Myung has condemned hate rallies, and police have been instructed to act against incitement, violence and physical intimidation.
• Most trips proceed without incident. Travelers are advised to avoid rallies, keep identification and emergency contacts accessible, and seek help rather than argue if confronted.