AliExpress removes canvas bag printed with image of late Korean military dictator

Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress removed a canvas bag printed with an image of former strongman Chun Doo Hwan after receiving a formal protest from the May 18 Foundation.

"We sent an official letter to online shopping mall AliExpress Korea to stop the sales of a product using the image of Chun Doo Hwan," the foundation said Monday.

The bag featured a parody of U.S. outdoor brand The North Face's logo, with a large printed image of Chun’s face on the front. The item was priced at around 15,000 won (\$11).

The seller had described it as a “creatively printed portable bag.”

In its letter, the foundation stated, “The use of Chun Doo Hwan’s image on merchandise distorts and denigrates the history of Korea’s pro-democracy movement, including the May 18 Democratization Movement. Much like Japan’s Rising Sun flag or the Nazi swastika, products bearing Chun’s image should not be sold.”

The group also called on AliExpress to review its product regulations and prevent the sale of similar items.

Following the protest, the product listing was removed. As of Monday, the bag no longer appears in search results on the platform.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE JI-YOUNG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]