Writers to Protest for Freedom of Speech

Members of the Writers Association of Korea hold a press conference last month at their office in Mapogu to protest the Arts Council of Korea’s request for written confirmation that the association will not participate in illegal anti-government demonstrations. / Korea Times

By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter

The Writers Association of Korea has vowed to stage street protests condemning what they say is the government's attempt to limit their freedom of expression.

The pledge came even after the state-financed Arts Council of Korea was withdrawing its decision to lower subsidies for writers engaged in anti-government acts. The poets and novelists of the group plan to recite their work in front of the Arts Council in downtown Seoul.

The council said Monday it will withdraw its request to the writers' association for a written document affirming that they will not attend illegal demonstrations.

The council sent a statement to the association, saying that it regretted the concern generated by the request and that they will officially withdraw it. "The request was based on the government's guideline for the execution of the 2010 budget, which limits funding to organizations that participate in illegal demonstrations," the council said.

Writers from the association, however, are expected to continue their protest against what they consider "discriminatory" cultural policies of the Lee Myung-bak administration. They declared Wednesday that they will launch a "resistance writing campaign" on both on- and offline media to denounce the move.

The association has asked for 34 million won in funds from the council for several projects for this year, including the publication of a quarterly magazine. It will halt the magazine's publication and instead hold a public reading ceremony Friday in front of the headquarters of the council.

Around 20 million won of state funds are spent on the magazine, composed of pieces by member writers.

"The suspension of publication is our way protesting the government's administrative violence," said Choi Doo-seok, chief editor of the magazine, in an online blog run by the association. All seven editors of the magazine have resigned in protest.

The writers have called the council's move "oppression of critical thinking, creativity and freedom of expression."

Kim Nam-il, an official with the association, said in a statement, "We will continue to protest until the government abandons its discriminatory stance on funding civic groups and rectifies its cultural policies."

The council, composed of 11 members representing various disciplines of the arts and appointed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has an annual budget of around 100 billion won to sponsor Korean artists and various artistic and cultural activities.

The association has some 200 members in its fold.

As part of the protest, the writers will publish works pointing out various policy mistakes of the Lee administration and post them on blogs.

The Lee administration has also clashed with members of an association representing the independent film industry.

jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr

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