According to an analysis, the Park Geun-hye government seems to be more thorough in censoring contents related to the president and her father (former President Park Chung-hee) than on contents that deal with national or social issues. Also, censorship has been carried out relentlessly from all directions, which pose the risk of artists censoring their own works.
According to Cultural Action on November 29, "A study of controversial censorship issues from September 2013 until recently, a period under the Park Geun-hye government, showed that more than twenty works were censored. An analysis of the details showed that many cases concerned criticism and satire of the state leader and had nothing to do with social issues. This means that the censorship is more despotic and fascist in its nature."
A representative example of censorship on works of criticism and satire aiming at President Park was the Hyundae Munhak (Contemporary Literature) incident in December 2013. The monthly literary magazine, Hyundae Munhak ceased publishing the serial novel by writers Lee Ze-ha, Jung Chan and Seo Jeong-in, because they depicted former President Park Chung-hee and the Yusin dictatorship in a negative light. The artist Hong Seong-dam, who satirically portrayed President Park in his work "Sewol, May" had submitted his work to the Gwangju Biennale special exhibition last year, but the work was never displayed. In addition, producers who satirically portrayed President Park Geun-hye or the incumbent government were refused support and writers were arrested. A representative of Cultural Action said, "The government seems to have a censorship guideline that states that the production and distribution of creative works that don't sit well with President Park should be censored."
As for the censorship method, Cultural Action said, "The government either tarnishes the artist's reputation or hurts his pride, blocks financial funding, and actively utilizes judicial rights to corner the artist from all sides. The government employed various specific methods and was persistent in censoring the works, keeping the works from being displayed, performed, or screened, taking the work down by force, arresting and filing lawsuits and reports against artists who criticized the government in their works, excluding them from public funding, and threatening to cut their budget."
The censorship was carried out by state organizations like Cheong Wa Dae and the National Intelligence Service and also by public cultural agencies such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Arts Council Korea, the Korean Film Council and the National Gugak Center. There was also voluntary censorship by artists and arts institutions. According to Cultural Action, "Cheong Wa Dae and state authorities, from an imperial position, engage in censorship in hiding, while presenting censorship strategies and guidelines." They analyzed, "Public agencies not only played the role of the actor and agent of censorship, but also engaged in prior censorship activities based on a desire to raise their social status by displaying loyalty to power or for fear that those in power would feel uncomfortable with the work."
Lee Dong-yeon, executive director of Cultural Action (also a professor at Korea National University of Arts) said, "Simply put, the methods of reprisal and censorship have become more despicable." He added, "In the 1980s artists were dragged to prison 'gloriously' for violating the National Security Act or as prisoners of conscience, but these days, the government treats them like petty criminals and fines them for damaging public property. The government is underestimating the original value of the artistic expression and trying to control the artist's pride."
According to Cultural Action on November 29, "A study of controversial censorship issues from September 2013 until recently, a period under the Park Geun-hye government, showed that more than twenty works were censored. An analysis of the details showed that many cases concerned criticism and satire of the state leader and had nothing to do with social issues. This means that the censorship is more despotic and fascist in its nature."
A representative example of censorship on works of criticism and satire aiming at President Park was the Hyundae Munhak (Contemporary Literature) incident in December 2013. The monthly literary magazine, Hyundae Munhak ceased publishing the serial novel by writers Lee Ze-ha, Jung Chan and Seo Jeong-in, because they depicted former President Park Chung-hee and the Yusin dictatorship in a negative light. The artist Hong Seong-dam, who satirically portrayed President Park in his work "Sewol, May" had submitted his work to the Gwangju Biennale special exhibition last year, but the work was never displayed. In addition, producers who satirically portrayed President Park Geun-hye or the incumbent government were refused support and writers were arrested. A representative of Cultural Action said, "The government seems to have a censorship guideline that states that the production and distribution of creative works that don't sit well with President Park should be censored."
As for the censorship method, Cultural Action said, "The government either tarnishes the artist's reputation or hurts his pride, blocks financial funding, and actively utilizes judicial rights to corner the artist from all sides. The government employed various specific methods and was persistent in censoring the works, keeping the works from being displayed, performed, or screened, taking the work down by force, arresting and filing lawsuits and reports against artists who criticized the government in their works, excluding them from public funding, and threatening to cut their budget."
The censorship was carried out by state organizations like Cheong Wa Dae and the National Intelligence Service and also by public cultural agencies such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Arts Council Korea, the Korean Film Council and the National Gugak Center. There was also voluntary censorship by artists and arts institutions. According to Cultural Action, "Cheong Wa Dae and state authorities, from an imperial position, engage in censorship in hiding, while presenting censorship strategies and guidelines." They analyzed, "Public agencies not only played the role of the actor and agent of censorship, but also engaged in prior censorship activities based on a desire to raise their social status by displaying loyalty to power or for fear that those in power would feel uncomfortable with the work."
Lee Dong-yeon, executive director of Cultural Action (also a professor at Korea National University of Arts) said, "Simply put, the methods of reprisal and censorship have become more despicable." He added, "In the 1980s artists were dragged to prison 'gloriously' for violating the National Security Act or as prisoners of conscience, but these days, the government treats them like petty criminals and fines them for damaging public property. The government is underestimating the original value of the artistic expression and trying to control the artist's pride."
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