hankyoreh

One of the artworks in the “2023 Goodbye in Seoul” exhibition, which had been scheduled to open Monday at the National Assembly Building in Seoul’s Yeouido neighborhood.  (courtesy of the Goodbye Exhibition Organizing Committee)

The Secretariat said its request for the organizers to take down the artwork was based on internal regulations stipulating that permission to display artwork may be revoked when an event “is deemed to slander a particular individual or group.”

But the arbitrary interpretation of already vague regulations — along with the fact that all the artwork was removed without a clear standard being applied — appears likely to fuel a controversy over the perceived infringement of freedom of expression.

On Monday, lawmakers including independent Min Hyung-bae and the Democratic Party’s Choe Kang-wook held a press conference at the National Assembly’s press center.

“Early this morning [Jan. 9], the Secretariat abruptly and improperly removed around 80 pieces of artwork that had been exhibited in the second lobby of the National Assembly Building,” they explained.

They denounced the move as “forcibly breaking the will of artists who use satire to scathingly criticize those in power.”

According to Min’s office, the Secretariat initially granted permission for the exhibition “2023 Goodbye in Seoul,” which was organized by the Seoul branch of the Korea Federation of People’s Art Association and the Goodbye Exhibition Organizing Committee. The five-day event was scheduled to begin Tuesday in the lobby on the second floor of the National Assembly building.

But it ended up being canceled when the Secretariat had all artwork removed early in the morning on the exhibition’s start date.

The Secretariat said that prior to taking down the artwork, it had sent three notices beginning on Sunday evening to the office of Min Hyung-bae — who oversaw the exhibition — to request the artwork’s “voluntary removal.”

In its notification, the Secretariat said, “While freedom of expression must be sufficiently respected as guaranteed by the Constitution, we request the voluntary removal of the exhibition artwork by 11 pm on Jan. 8 based on Articles 6 and 7 of the bylaws for use of the National Assembly Building’s conference rooms and lobby.”

According to the bylaws on National Assembly Building use, the National Assembly secretary-general may disallow use of the space when a meeting or event is deemed as potentially violating individual rights, public morals, and social ethics, including those slandering specific individuals and groups; when measures are necessary for disaster prevention and response according to the National Assembly’s safety management regulations; and when a meeting or event is deemed potentially detrimental to maintaining order in the National Assembly complex or conspicuously damaging to the National Assembly’s prestige.

According to the Secretariat, the decision to disallow the “Goodbye” exhibition was based on the first of these three standards.

An official with a lawmaker’s office told the Hankyoreh, “The Secretariat communicated the position that it would prefer to avoid partisan quarreling.”

Most of the works in the exhibition were scathingly satirical of Yoon and Kim. In their press conference, Min and the other lawmakers said, “The exhibition’s aims are to sharply and provocatively lampoon political authorities who seek to reign over sovereign individuals and disregard the public; media authorities who are helpless in the face of governmental power; and judicial authorities who present themselves as handmaidens to those in power.”

“The exhibition also represented a promise that the people will no longer allow themselves to be ‘crowd crushed’ by unjust authorities,” they added.

They went on to say, “The National Assembly Secretariat trampled over this pledge with its barbarous actions in improperly removing [the artwork].”

“It is a shameful state of affairs when even the National Assembly cannot tolerate freedom of exhibition,” they continued.

They also called on National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo to “promise to ensure the normal operation of the exhibition.”

During the 20th National Assembly in 2017, Democratic Party lawmaker Pyo Chang-won faced disciplinary action from his own party, including a six-month suspension of his duties, for overseeing an exhibition satirizing then-president Park Geun-hye. But it’s seen as unusual for the National Assembly Secretariat itself to order an exhibition’s removal.

Indeed, the move appears likely to draw criticism over a perceived double standard.

Min’s office said, “There wasn’t even any explanation about precisely what issues there were with what artwork.”

“We requested confirmation on specific problem areas and never received a proper response,” it added.

By Um Ji-won & Shim Wu-sam, staff reporters

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]