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G-Dragon catches flak from Chinese fans over 'Lunar' New Year greeting

Published: 02 Mar. 2026, 15:16

Singer G-Dragon speaks in a congratulatory video aired at KAIST's commencement ceremony. [GALAXY CORPORATION]

G-Dragon is facing backlash from some Chinese fans after he referenced the Lunar New Year instead of calling it the "Chinese New Year."

The singer performed at the Krazy Super Concert in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Feb. 17 and greeted the audience for the "Lunar New Year season," prompting criticism from some Chinese fans online, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) article published Saturday.

Both terms refer to the holiday based on the lunar calendar, celebrated across multiple countries and cultures, including Korea, China and Vietnam. This year's holiday was observed from Feb. 16 to 18.

The controversy intensified after Chinese pop idol Cai Xukun, who appeared as a special guest, offered a New Year greeting using the phrase “Chinese New Year,” according to SCMP.

“The Spring Festival originates from China. Please respect its roots and refer to it correctly as Chinese New Year,” “G-Dragon is such a superstar that he does not care about his Chinese fans,” said some online comments, according to the SCMP article.

“It’s understandable for a Korean to use this term,” said another.

This isn't the first time the holiday's name has been at the center of controversy.

K-pop stars Jang Won-young of IVE and Seohyun of Girls’ Generation were bombarded by Chinese social media users after referring to the Lunar New Year holidays using the English term "Lunar New Year" or the Korean word "Seollal" instead of "Chinese New Year" in 2023.

“Baseless, unreasonable claims by Chinese netizens are growing worse by the day,” Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University, wrote on social media Monday. “Lunar New Year is not a culture that belongs only to China, but one shared across Asia.”

“At least from now on, Chinese netizens should learn basic global manners, starting with respecting other countries’ cultures,” Prof. Seo added.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]