By Park Si-soo
Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun has for the first time admitted the existence of a state-compiled “blacklist” of artists.
She made the admission during a parliamentary probe of the huge corruption and influence-peddling scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment on Monday. But she denied being involved in compiling the list.
“As far as I know there was a list of artists who were banned from receiving state support for their political beliefs,” Cho said.
Cho is considered one of the closest aides to the impeached President, and the blacklist is believed to have been made when Cho was a senior presidential secretary.
The acknowledgement came when as the special prosecution team widens its investigation into a supposed blacklist of about 9,000 artists who were deemed unfriendly to Park's administration and allegedly denied government support.
Park's alleged backlist reportedly included some of South Korea's most famous cultural figures, including “Old Boy” film director Park Chan-wook and poet Ko Un, whose name frequently surfaces in discussions for the Nobel literature prize.
They were listed for putting their names on statements criticizing the government over the 2014 ferry disaster and supporting opposition candidates during presidential and mayoral elections.
Artists’ groups say the allegedly blacklisted individuals -- including actors, painters, and musicians -- have inexplicably been denied financial support available under government programs and prevented from using state venues.
Former culture minister Yoo Jin-ryong, who stepped down in July 2014, amid a fallout with Park, said in a recent radio interview that the blacklist, which was updated several times before he left, was passed to the ministry through presidential secretaries.