#127, Censor
After the tragic Sewol ferry disaster in 2014, artist Hong Sung-dam attacked those he believed were responsible by creating the work, Sewol Owol. His work was criticism of the poor response to the ferry disaster singling out President Park and the military in particular. Last month, Mr. Hong entered the Sewol Owol to Korea's most famous international art festival, Gwangju Biennale. Before it could be shown, Gwangju's leaders ordered the painting be removed from the festival.
“We demanded the exclusion of Mr. Hong’s painting because of its explicit political intention, such as the parodying of the president”
-Oh Hyeong-guk, a vice mayor of Gwangju
Censorship of artistic expression is a sensitive issue in Korea. In the past, Korean artists were jailed and even tortured for expressing their political beliefs. Today, artists are more free to express themselves, but that freedom is not absolute.
censor v. to examine (a book, movie, etc.), in order to remove things that are considered to be offensive, immoral, or harmful to society
To complete this Journal response, address the following:
Should the government censor art? If so, what should they censor or not censor? Why?
e.g., paintings, cartoons, digital art, books, movies, music
Comment on a peer's response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher