Works of '#MeToo' Artist Displayed at Overseas Missions; Ministry Considers Removal

[Anchor]

An SBS investigation has confirmed that photographs by a renowned photographer who issued a public apology in 2018 over sexual harassment allegations were being displayed at several South Korean diplomatic missions overseas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it only recently learned of the photographer's past misconduct after the National Assembly requested related records, adding that it will consider whether to remove the works.

Kim Hye-young reports.

[Reporter]

These photographs are on display at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, and the South Korean Permanent Mission in Geneva, Switzerland, respectively.

They are works by photographer Bae Bien-u, widely known for his pine tree photographs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds a total of nine pieces of Bae's work, including these.

In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Bae issued a formal public apology, stating that he "thoroughly repents" his wrongdoings, after a series of allegations of sexual harassment and molestation were raised by his former students while he was a professor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts.

At the time, the city of Suncheon in South Jeolla Province shut down an art studio named after Bae and removed his exhibited works.

The Gyeongju National Museum and the Jeju Museum of Art also took down Bae's works from display.

However, it was found that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had never reviewed the appropriateness of displaying Bae's works when exhibiting them at overseas diplomatic missions.

While the Embassy in Japan and the Permanent Mission in Geneva continue their displays, the South Korean Embassy in India recently took down the works after a lawmaker requested materials regarding Bae's exhibition.

The Foreign Ministry's position is that "it only learned of the controversy regarding Bae for the first time this time."

[Kim Jun-hwan / Member of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee (Democratic Party): "(South Korean) embassies stationed abroad are outposts for promoting Korea. Leaving (Bae's works) unattended for eight years and having no awareness of the issue is a dereliction of duty by the Foreign Ministry and the embassies...."]

This is not the first time the Foreign Ministry has faced public criticism over works by artists involved in social controversies.

Works by painters Kim Ki-chang and Kim Eun-ho, designated as "pro-Japanese painters" by the Presidential Committee for the Inspection of Collaborations for Japanese Imperialism, were removed following criticism from the National Assembly. In addition, works by artist Lim Ok-sang, who was convicted of sexual assault, were removed after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism classified them as "closed to the public" and are currently being stored separately.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told SBS that it plans to convene an art screening committee to discuss whether to continue displaying Bae's works.

(Video by Cho Chun-dong, Bae Mun-san, Kim Tae-hoon | Video Editing by Wi Won-yang)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.