South Korea’s cancellation of satirical exhibition featuring President Yoon sparks freedom of expression debate
- Exhibition of 80 artworks would have included shirtless Yoon brandishing sword and a parody of 2022 film ‘Decision to Leave’, dubbed ‘Decision to Embezzle’
- But National Assembly secretariat halted event hours before it was due to open, saying it was slanderous and could not take place in members’ office building
The National Assembly secretariat’s disapproval of an exhibition featuring satirical works about President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee at the Assembly members’ office building has ignited a debate about freedom of expression.
The planned exhibition, hosted by the Seoul branch of the Federation of Artistic & Cultural Organization of Korea (FAC) – a progressive artist group – and 10 main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers and two independent lawmakers was expected to take place from Monday to Friday.
Some 80 pieces by 30 artists were to be showcased. Among the featured pieces was one where a shirtless Yoon brandishes a sword in front of his wife, towering over a cityscape.
On Sunday evening, the secretariat sent three official letters requesting the voluntary removal of the exhibition to the office of Representative Min Hyung-bae, one of the event’s sponsoring lawmakers.
The secretariat’s request was based on National Assembly regulations on the use of the building lobby, in which it is stated that “an event or a conference that slanders a particular person or organisation and thereby is considered to possibly infringe others’ rights, public etiquette and social ethics” could be banned from the space.
