An advertisement produced by German DIY chain, Hornbach, has met controversy and has even been called "racist" by members of the South Korean community.

The controversial commercial depicts several white men doing garden work. They are then encouraged to remove their sweaty, dirty clothing — including underwear — and place it in a box.

The 46-second advertisement then cuts to a grey city where an Asian woman purchases one of the bags of dirty clothes, opens it up and inhales deeply. The woman then rolls her eyes back and appears to become aroused while a soundtrack of a woman moaning plays in the background.

The advertisement ends with a slogan reading: "That's how spring smells."

Defending the advertisement, Hornbach tweeted a response to one user, which said: "Our ad is not racist. View the ad as a discourse on the increasing urbanisation and decreasing quality of life in cities. The smell of the spring only available in vending machines. For everyone. Not only asian people."