In this photo, provided by Sungshin Women's University professor Seo Kyoung-duk, Chinese-style clothing is misrepresented as traditional Korean attire, with an explanation stating that it was worn by children during the 1950-1953 Korean War, at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Captured from Seo's Instagram

The Australian War Memorial's misrepresenting Chinese clothing as traditional Korean attire is sparking controversy. Despite calls for correction, the display remains in place, professor Seo Kyoung-duk, known for his efforts to rectify misinformation about Korea, said Friday.

The memorial, in the Australian capital of Canberra, shows clothes worn by children during the 1950-1953 Korean War in front of Korea's national flag, the Taeguekgi, introducing the Chinese-style clothing as "traditional Korean children's clothing," the Sungshin Women's University professor said.

Seo explained he first received reports about the misrepresentation in 2024 and subsequently requested a correction to the memorial. However, the display remains unchanged.

"Last year, I received numerous reports (about the issue) and immediately lodged a protest with the memorial," he said on Instagram. "Korean Australian communities also joined the protest, but the situation has not been rectified."

Due to the continued lack of action, the professor sent another letter of complaint to the memorial early this month.

"Because this is the most important national memorial in Australia and a place visited by many international tourists, such errors cannot be left unattended," Seo said.

Seo, who has been promoting accurate representation of "hanbok," Korean traditional dress for many years, explained to the memorial why the displayed clothing is not Korean. He pointed out the differences in tailoring, color schemes and embroidery styles.

"In this latest letter of protest, I explained that the clothing currently on display, including the cut of the collar and sleeves, the color combinations and the embroidery, is of Chinese design, not Korean," Seo said.

He further noted that hanbok is the true traditional Korean dress, adding, "At a time when China continues to make unfounded claims that hanbok originated from its own culture, it is crucial to correct misinformation around the world and promote Korean hanbok culture more widely."

Seo has been a voice in addressing misinformation about Korea. In November, he advocated for barring the Korean service of a Chinese game after its developer claimed hanbok was Chinese clothing.

He is also involved in raising awareness about Korean independence activists who fought for Korea's freedom during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial period, working with actor Song Hye-kyo.