Seoul superintendent candidate faces backlash over anti-queer banners

A campaign banner for Seoul Metropolitan superintendent candidate Cho Jeon-hyeok bearing the slogan "expel queer homosexuality education" is displayed along a street in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Bahk Eun-ji

Criticism is mounting against a Seoul education superintendent candidate over campaign banners, with civic groups accusing him of promoting hatred against sexual minorities.

The banners for Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education superintendent candidate Cho Jeon-hyeok carry the slogan “expel queer homosexuality education."

His campaign blog also pledges to block the annual queer festival held at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall.

The Korean coalition for sexual minority rights Rainbow Action, youth support center Dding Dong and Coalition for Anti-Discrimination Legislation released a joint statement Friday, condemning the banners as an act that denies the existence of LGBTQ students and openly promotes hatred.

The groups expressed outrage over the public display of anti-LGBTQ sentiments during the election campaign, saying these messages undermine the democratic values that elections are meant to represent.

They also criticized Cho, lamenting that someone lacking an understanding of the education system and the qualifications of an educator is running in the superintendent race.

The groups urged the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Election Commission and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, to take measures to remove the banners.

The Act on the Management of Outdoor Advertisements and Promotion of Outdoor Advertisement Industry prohibits advertisements containing racially or sexually discriminatory content that could violate human rights.

Based on the law, the interior ministry introduced outdoor advertisement guidelines last November in response to a controversy over hate speech on political party banners.

The guidelines stated that advertisements may be classified as prohibited if they deny human dignity or values, infringe on individual rights, distort or reject democratic principles or risk undermining social integration, particularly when complaints are raised by affected individuals or the public.

The guidelines specifically cite expressions promoting prejudice or discrimination, including derogatory remarks targeting sexual minorities, as prohibited advertisements.