This combined image shows the award-winning cartoon by a high schooler satirizing President Yoon Suk-yeol, left and a satirical cartoon published in 2019 by British daily The Sun, satirizing Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Screenshot from Internet

Culture ministry warning of punitive measures compared to past artist blacklist

By Lee Hae-rin

A prizewinning cartoon drawn by a high schooler satirizing President Yoon Suk-yeol has ignited a debate over freedom of expression in the National Assembly Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee's annual audit, Wednesday. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) locked horns over the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's reaction to the controversy.

The cartoon, titled "Yoonsukyeolcha," which is a portmanteau of the president's name and the Korean word for "train," won first prize in the high school category of a cartoon and webtoon contest organized by the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency.

The piece features a train similar to Thomas the Tank Engine but with Yoon's face on it, with characters resembling first lady Kim Keon-hee in the engine room and prosecutors holding swords riding in the passenger cars behind. People looking scared are running away from the train as it barrels toward them. The cartoon was displayed at Bucheon's Korea Manhwa Museum during the Bucheon International Comics Festival, also hosted by the agency, from Friday to Monday.

The satirical cartoon soon became a national sensation and drew mixed responses on whether it was appropriate to award a work satirizing the president at a government-sponsored contest. The culture ministry issued a warning to the agency threatening unspecified but grave punitive measures.

The DPK lawmakers condemned the ministry, calling its response to the cartoon inappropriate, echoing others who said that such a warning violates freedom of expression and creation, which are values the Yoon administration has repeatedly stressed it cherishes.

Rep. Chun Jae-soo pointed out that President Yoon has repeated the word "freedom" numerous times since coming to office in May ― 35 times in his inaugural speech, 33 times in his National Liberation Day speech and 21 times during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly ― and questioned why the prizewinning teenage contestant's freedom of expression and creation is not protected in this case.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Park Bo-gyoon responds to lawmakers' questions during an annual audit of the ministry at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

In response, Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon said that the Yoon administration "does its utmost to guarantee freedom of expression and creation," and the ministry's point was rather about procedural flaws in the selection and awarding processes of the event.

According to the minister, the contest initially had selection guidelines to exclude works that could defame someone's honor or have a strong political character when the organizers had initially applied to receive government funding. However, the agency removed the clause without the ministry's consent while holding the event and selecting the prizewinners.

Thus, the culture minister claimed that the agency had "politically contaminated" the contest, which the minister said had a reputation for "purely artistic sensibilities."

In response, Rep. Kim Yun-duck of the DPK said that the ministry's reaction reminds him of the administration of impeached former President Park Geun-hye, which had been responsible for blacklisting artists and issuing a nationwide warning against artists and the public to refrain from criticizing the government.

The Park administration was discovered to have blacklisted 9,473 artists it claimed had opposed government policies or supported opposition politicians. The list included famous filmmaker Park Chan-wook and Man Booker International Prize winner novelist Han Kang and was used to screen out artists for government funding.

Meanwhile, PPP Rep. Lee Yong defended the ministry's response, saying such an event sponsored by government funding is subject to political neutrality obligations.

On top of the freedom of expression controversy, the cartoon is also facing a fresh allegation that it copied a British cartoon published in 2019 by British daily The Sun, satirizing Prime Minister Boris Johnson.