Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Mural seen as symbolizing Japan's wartime aggression to be modified
The controversial mural by artist Beau Stanton at the Robert F. Kennedy Community School in Los Angeles. AFP
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
A Los Angeles mural that many Korean-Americans see as symbolizing Japan's wartime aggression will be modified.
According to
, American artist Beau Stanton recently agreed to make changes to a mural of Hollywood actress Ava Gardner at the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools (RFK), after the Korean-American community complained that sun rays in the background resemble the “Rising Sun” flag of the Japanese imperial military during World War II.
Last December, the school at Koreatown said it would paint over the mural after complaints, but the decision evoked an outcry from some residents and artists, who criticized the school for “political censorship.”
After speaking with various school officials, community members and artists, Stanton said he would resolve the conflict by making revisions to the mural.
“These interactions have allowed me to synthesize a solution that aims to rise above the original binary conversation of 'keep or remove the mural' in order to build upon the original work and create something that speaks to the past, present and future of the RFK campus,” Stanton told the Los Angeles Times.
“My proposal involves creating a transformative work utilizing the original mural as a base for layering and weaving additional imagery into the original image, much like an urban wall with many historic layers.”
The district has allotted about $20,000 to fund the additional work.
The rays-of-sun motif appears in many of
, which he insists has no connection with the Japanese military flag.