Seoul gov't criticized for discriminating against queer culture festival

Organizers and supporters of the 23rd Seoul Queer Culture Festival, which will take place at Seoul Square in July, protest the Seoul Metropolitan Government for putting unfair limitations on the festival, June 15. The signs read, "Set fire to the discriminatory administration," and "Seoul City, approve our application to use Seoul Square immediately." Yonhap

Seoul city denies the allegation, saying weeklong queer culture festival could cause inconveniences

By Ko Dong-hwan

The 23rd Seoul Queer Cultural Festival ― an annual festival for LGBTQ rights and representation ― is set to take place in front of the Seoul City Hall in July following two years of being held online. But despite the return of the outdoor gathering, there is a growing outcry from supporters that the Seoul Metropolitan Government put certain unprecedented limitations on the festival, downscaling its size and discouraging people from attending.

After three months of waiting, the festival's organizers received approval from the Seoul City government to use Seoul Square in front of the city government for hosting the festival, Wednesday. But the city's decision came with unusual conditions: that the festival take place on only one day, July 16, instead of as a six-day event as the organizers have planned; and that the participants don't publicly expose their bare body parts too much or sell or display lewd products, which are considered "harmful" to minors according to the country's Youth Protection Act.

The conditions were penned by a panel of 10 civic experts ― architects, lawyers, professor, civic activists and city officials ― representing the Seoul City government as a "civic committee" for the management of the public square. It was the committee that also gave the final approval for the festival to take place this year on behalf of the government, unanimously agreeing to allow the festival to occur, but conditionally.

The committee, an advisory group for the city government, previously approved the same festival each year from 2016 to 2019 on behalf of the government.

The organizers of the festival responded that it is discriminatory for the city government to give only conditional approval for the festival, instead of the direct and unconditional approval given to other public events held at Seoul Square, simply because the festival is an event for sexual minority group rights. They explained that the Seoul City government has always hidden behind the committee when making the decision to approve the annual event.

Kang Myeong-jin, one of the festival organizers, said that the Seoul Metropolitan Government didn't want to get its hands dirty and instead passed the buck to the committee. "It's unfair that the authority kept involving the committee in deciding whether to host the festival," said Kang.

Yang Seon-woo, the organizers' representative, said in a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall on Wednesday that the committee has "no right to judge us because freedom of assembly is a right guaranteed by Korea's Constitution as well as an international human right."

"Seoul City government must stop impeding the festival by trying to put the committee in front of it as its shield," said Yang.

In this photo from June 2019, anti-LGBTQ rights protesters demonstrate against the Seoul Queer Culture Festival held at Seoul Square. Korea Times photo

The organizers also pointed out that the city government delayed approving the festival for 63 days as of Wednesday after the organizers filed a request to use Seoul Square for the festival in April. According to city regulations on the use of the public square, the city government is supposed to respond to any request to use the space within 48 hours.

The minor progressive Justice Party issued a statement supporting the festival and its organizers, Wednesday. The party said that the conditions enforced by the committee constitute discrimination against the festival and show misunderstanding of the festival's true meaning.

"The Seoul Queer Culture Festival is a place where people can proclaim equality in the face of discrimination against sexual minorities. But it seems like the city government still defines the festival as a 'decadent' cultural festival," the party said.

The Seoul City government ignored Seoul Square's true meaning as a "citizens' square" by enforcing the permit system only for events related to sexual minority groups and reluctantly allowing the festival to take place for just one day, the party said.

"The overall responsibility should be shouldered by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who ignored the regulations and encouraged discrimination. Seoul City government should repeal the conditional approval and approve the festival to take place to its full extent," said the party.

Seoul Metropolitan Government, however, said on Thursday while responding to online inquiries by members of the public, that they can consult with the civic panel committee when Seoul Square is requested to be used for purposes that "violate" its original purposes.

"We deemed that the queer festival was outside the original purposes of Seoul Square so we sought the committee for advice in accordance with city government regulations," an official from the General Affairs Division under Seoul City government's Local Autonomy Administration Bureau told The Korea Times.

As to reducing the period of the festival from six days to one, the official said the festival, if held for six days, could attract anti-LGBTQ rights protests and cause inconvenience to the public in the area.

"The tension might cause physical clashes and, once they intensify, it will produce a greater administrative burden on our part, so we asked for the committee's opinion on this matter as well," the official said.