On May 29, 2026, South Korea's Hankook Ilbo reported that "it was discovered that inexpensive Chinese-made ceramics were being offered at an event meant to widely promote the beauty of traditional Korean ceramics."

According to photos and text posted on social media, an event was held at the "Yeoju Ceramic Festival," which took place from the 1st to the 10th in Yeoju City, Gyeonggi Province, where "mini moon jars" were given away by lottery. It is said that a "Made in China" sticker was affixed to the prize jar sent to the winners at a later date.

The poster expressed anger, saying, "The moment I opened the box, I doubted my own eyes," and "I never imagined that a Chinese product would be sent to me, even though it was the Yeoju Ceramic Festival." They also revealed that when they inquired with the organizer, the Yeoju Sejong Cultural Tourism Foundation, the response was, "Doesn't it just say the prize is a 'mini moon jar'?"

As criticism from netizens who saw this post surged, the Foundation announced an apology on the 27th under the name of CEO Lee Seung-yeol, stating, "As the person responsible for the institution that manages and oversees the overall operation of the festival, we once again sincerely apologize to all the potters, citizens, and tourists in the Yeoju region."

As a result of an internal investigation, it was discovered that the marketing agency that planned the event had purchased Chinese-made ceramics worth approximately 6,500 won (approximately 685 yen) through online retail and shipped them to the winners.

Regarding this article, South Korean netizens commented, "It's like serving Chinese kimchi at a kimchi festival (lol)," "The moon jar is a representative ceramic of Yeoju, so it's absurd to use a Chinese-made jar as an event prize," "Weren't a considerable number of the ceramics sold on the day actually made in China too?" and "They have no pride or philosophy, only thinking about money. If there's no budget, they should just stop offering such prizes. This is what's wrong with this country."

(Translation/Editing: Asa-e)