Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Korean filmmakers demand halt to Korean Film Archive appointment amid political turmoil
Yu In-chon, minister of culture, sports and tourism, speaks during a briefing at Government Complex Seoul, Dec. 10, 2024, a week after now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol abruptly declared martial law on Dec. 3. Newsis
By Baek Byung-yeul
Korean filmmakers demanded Culture Minister Yu In-chon to halt the ministry's recruitment process for a new head of the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), labeling the minister as a part of the “insurrection forces” linked to last December’s martial law declaration by now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
With less than 50 days until the presidential election following the Constitutional Court's removal of former President Yoon, the Coalition for Overcoming Crisis in the Film Industry, comprising 18 local filmmakers' guilds, issued a statement Friday.
"At this moment, with the Constitutional Court having unanimously voted to remove the impeached Yoon Suk Yeol and a new presidential election only 48 days away, a person who served as a spokesperson for the emergency martial law situation that destroyed Korean democracy and plunged the people into suffering has absolutely no authority to initiate the appointment process for the director of the Korean Film Archive, a crucial cornerstone of Korean film art and industry," the statement read.
The coalition is calling for an immediate suspension of the KOFA director appointment, insisting the process should only begin under a new government after the June 3 presidential election.
"Minister Yu hosted a briefing to deliver a message to the nation on Dec. 10, following the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration, acting as a government spokesperson. He did not offer a single word of apology for the illegal martial law but instead denounced the National Assembly's impeachment motion, effectively identifying himself with the insurrectionary forces," the coalition said.
"Regarding the incident where the Korea National University of Arts was closed under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism during the brief martial law period, a thorough investigation into the minister’s involvement in the insurrection is necessary."
KOFA announced Monday the open recruitment for a new director. Currently, former KOFA director Kim Hong-joon is continuing his duties even after his official three-year term ended in February.
KOFA is a state-run archival institution housing all moving images, particularly films and related archives. Given the national significance of these visual records, KOFA contributes to the development of Korea’s film scene through various activities such as special screenings and retrospectives.