Chinese and South Korean short-track speedskating fans are duking it out online over allegations of foul play, tapping into the historical rivalry between their countries.South Korea was angered by the disqualifications of two of its short-track speedskaters at the Beijing Games this week. A protest was filed, and South Koreans online called for the team to withdraw in protest.Instead, they stayed. And Hwang Daeheon won gold in the men’s 1,500 meters on Wednesday, giving South Korea its fourth such title in six Olympics.Hwang and teammate Lee Juneseo had been disqualified in the semifinals of the 1,000 two days earlier, prompting the South Korean contingent to complain to the International Skating Union and International Olympic Committee.The tetchiness over a relatively obscure sport underscores the intense competition between the Asian superpower and the scrappy, high-tech democracy that has thrived despite the ever-present threat from China’s ally North Korea.Chinese nationalists say that over the centuries, Koreans have adopted Chinese customs and sought to make them their own. South Koreans say China seeks to diminish their uniqueness and accuse the government of cultural appropriation, most recently at last week’s Olympics opening ceremony, when a performer representing China’s Korean minority wore the traditional women’s national dress known as hanbok.That set off a howl of protest on the South Korean internet, which was met by an equally vociferous response from Chinese netizens asserting China’s cultural dominance and accusing South Korean skaters of deliberately fouling to seek advantage on the track.While no clear connection has been established, the assault of a Chinese student in the South Korean city of Busan on Wednesday also prompted an unusual statement of concern from China’s Foreign Ministry.“We are paying great attention to the matter,” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Friday. “We will do our best to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests and safety of Chinese citizens overseas.”China has also stirred nationalism with a pair of box office hits lionizing the role of Chinese troops in the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended without a peace treaty. Chinese propaganda paints the U.S. and its allies as the aggressors in the conflict that began after North Korea invaded the south and expanded with China’s dispatch of a massive army to aid the North.Short-track speedskating, a chaotic sport where skaters constantly jostle for position while racing around a tight track with no lanes, has long been plagued by bitter judging disputes.But tempers had rarely reached the levels of South Korea’s national outrage this week. The reaction underscored the pent-up frustrations from years of disputes over history and culture — and echoed broader unease about China’s growing military and economic influence.