Satirical portrayals of president spark censorship row in South Korea
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Loading... - Kyung-ah Kuen
- 03 Apr 2023
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Shutdown of the exhibition "Goodbye in Seoul" is the latest in a series of censorship controversies around negative images of Yoon Suk-yeol
A satirical art exhibition in South Korea’s National Assembly in Seoul was abruptly cancelled and forcibly removed the day before it was scheduled to open. It is the latest in a series of censorship controversies centred on negative portrayals of the country’s president.
The exhibition, Goodbye in Seoul, was organised by 32 artists and co-sponsored by 12 liberal lawmakers. It was initially approved by the National Assembly secretariat (a government body) on the understanding that it would take aim at people in positions of power.
Among the works on display was a parody of Goya’s The Colossus (1808-12), depicting the country’s president, Yoon Suk-yeol, topless and wielding a sword in front of his wife. Several caricatures featured the presidential couple and their relationship with a Rasputin-like Taoist guru who is believed to serve as their advisor. Some works criticised the government’s bungled response to the recent Halloween crowd crush incident in Seoul, when 159 people died. Read More…
