Organisers of the Yeoju Ceramic Festival in South Korea have faced significant backlash after distributing Chinese-made ceramic products as prizes,prompting an apology from event's leadership. The controversy erupted when a social media user revealed on Tuesday that a miniature moon jar,awarded through a promotional event,bore “Made in China” label.
The winner expressed disbelief upon receiving the prize, stating, “I honestly doubted my eyes when I opened the package.” They shared images of the jar online, criticizing its quality and questioning the appropriateness of the giveaway. “This was an event held under the name of the Yeoju Ceramic Festival,but what I received was a cheap, low-quality product with a ‘Made in China’ sticker on it,which is worse than something you’d buy at Daiso . Is this right?”
Held annually in Yeoju, Gyeonggi province, festival is a prominent celebration of South Korea’s ceramic heritage,aimed at promoting local artisans and the region's pottery industry. As part of a recent social media campaign,visitors who posted festival photos from May 1 to May 10 were entered into a drawing for miniature moon jars, traditional form of Korean pottery.
In response to the growing criticism,the Yeoju Sejong Cultural Tourism Foundation,which oversees festival, issued a public apology. Chairman Lee Soon-yeol acknowledged the misstep,stating, “The distribution of low-cost Chinese-made products as prizes under name of a festival intended to promote Yeoju’s ceramic culture and support local ceramic artists was highly inappropriate.”
