Seen in this screenshot is the the game play screen of characters wearing "hanbok," or traditional Korean attire, one of the items released in the game “Shining Nikki” by Chinese gaming company Papergames in 2020. Korea Times file By Baek Byung-yeul A Chinese gaming company that previously faced backlash in Korea for supporting Chinese users who claimed "hanbok" (traditional Korean attire) as Chinese in origin in a dress-up mobile game is now facing calls to be banned from releasing its next game in Korea following a four-year hiatus, according to Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor who is known for his efforts to promote Korea globally, Wednesday. "The Chinese gaming company that suddenly suspended its service in Korea after supporting Chinese netizens' claims that hanbok was Chinese traditional clothing is now trying to return with the release of their new game, after four years," Seo, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said.

China-based game company, Papergames, is currently accepting preregistrations for "Infinity Nikki," the latest installment in the "Nikki" series, through their international brand Infold Games. However, in 2020, when the company released a hanbok costume item to commemorate the Korean launch of its previous game "Shining Nikki," Chinese users criticized the decision, claiming that the hanbok is not traditional Korean clothing, but rather of Chinese origin. Papergames not only effectively accepted these Chinese users’ criticisms about why the ite.