Related News
S. Korean artists sue Park over years of silencing critical voices
Print Edition
HUNDREDS of South Korean artists sued President Park Geun-hye and former aides yesterday for trying to silence them with a blacklist of writers, actors and others critical of the scandal-plagued administration.
Park’s former presidential chief of staff and her culture minister have been charged with abuse of power for their role in drafting the blacklist in a corruption scandal that has gripped the country and led to Park’s impeachment in December.
Park and her aides violated the artists’ right to free speech and expression and their right to privacy by collecting personal information to use in drawing up the list, lawyers representing the group told reporters.
“We seek to resist the attempt to tame art and culture and to exercise free will to proclaim that past mistakes should not be repeated,” said Cho Young-sun, a member of the Liberal Lawyers for a Democratic Society group representing the artists.
The practice harked back to the “dictatorship days” of Park’s father, Park Chung-hee, who took power in a coup in 1961 and ruled until he was assassinated by his disgruntled spy chief in 1979, Cho said.
“Public servants and those who were aware of the existence of the blacklist must be held accountable,” he said.
The 461 artists, who include theatre director Park Kun-hyung and novelist Hyun Ki-young, are initially seeking 1 million won (US$875) in damages each. The law does not allow for punitive damage awards.
The Culture Ministry last month issued a public apology for the blacklist, which it said excluded artists from government grants and financial support, admitting there was a systemic effort to sideline critics of the scandal-plagued Park.
However, the presidential Blue House has denied that such a blacklist exists. Former Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun, who resigned last month after being arrested, has said that she had heard reports of such a list but that she had nothing to do with it.
The artists bringing the suit listed Park, her former chief of staff Kim Ki-choon, and Cho, along with government cultural agencies, as defendants.
Park was impeached by parliament over accusations that she colluded with long-time friend Choi Soon-sil to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back the president’s policy initiatives. Park, 64, remains in office but has been stripped of her powers while the Constitutional Court decides whether to uphold the impeachment.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
