One Chinese Internet user posted comments on the attacks under the title, “Chinese start teaching Koreans a lesson” on China’s largest web portal Sina.com, drawing more than 8,000 readers and over 70 replies as of Wednesday afternoon.

The end of the posting is adorned with a propaganda slogan reading, “Let’s drive Koreans out of China.” Supporting the claim, some Chinese users expressed anti-Korean sentiment in replies, proposing a boycott of Korean products or expelling Koreans and teach a lesson to people who look down on the Chinese.

But many others voiced concern that the sudden anti-Korean sentiment could hurt ties between Korea and China, calling it chauvinism. Some replies criticized the writer of the post for “narrow-minded nationalism disguised in patriotism.” “Koreans are good people,” one reply read. “You’ll like them if you have any sense.” Others said the sudden anti-Korean sentiment arose because the attacker has yet to be arrested.

An official of a Korean association in Shenyang said the attacks have frightened Koreans there. “I hope the attacker will be arrested as soon as possible and the unnecessary dispute about anti-Korean sentiment will end soon,” he said.

(englishnews@chosun.com )