Sports Minister Hwang Hee says he believes his donning a hanbok at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Winter Olympics amounted to a "silent protest" to the appearance of the Korean traditional attire as part of a program introducing China's 56 ethnic groups. 

Speaking to Yonhap News Agency on Sunday, Hwang explained he had packed a hanbok for his trip, anticipating it could feature in the global event. It had appeared in a teaser video for the opening ceremonies.

He said by wearing the hanbok as the country representative attending the ceremonies, it was a statement that it is in fact Korean traditional dress.

Regarding criticism over Seoul's lukewarm response to Beijing’s suggestion that the hanbok is one of its ethnic garments, the minister said the government had to exercise prudence since China has not made official claims over the hanbok.

Meeting with South Korean media outlets in Beijing on Saturday, Hwang said China's inclusion of Korean Chinese as an ethnic minority could suggest that the ethnic group had failed to grow into an independent nation.

The minister added that such a suggestion could generate misunderstanding between the two countries, adding South Korea is among the ranks of the world's top ten economies.