South Korean art event slammed over Taiwan designation

The Chinese embassy in Seoul condemned the organizers of an art exhibition in South Korea for using an incorrect designation of China's Taiwan, with Chinese artists withdrawing from the event in protest.

In a statement published Thursday on its WeChat account, the Chinese embassy criticized the organizer of the 16th Gwangju Biennale for persisting in their wrong practice and openly permitting China's Taiwan region to participate under a designation completely inconsistent with its status, severely violating the one-China principle and directly undermining the political foundation of China-South Korea ties.

The embassy statement came after the Gwangju Biennale, which is set to run from Sept 5 to Nov 15, approved the use of "Taiwan Pavilion" instead of an institutional title for participants from the island.

"The Chinese side firmly opposes and will never accept this," the embassy said.

The statement said both the embassy and the Chinese Consulate General in Gwangju have communicated multiple times with the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City government and event organizer Gwangju Biennale Foundation to express China's support for the exhibition and to emphasize that the event must be held in line with South Korea's foreign policy toward China, as well as international law and common international practice.

"There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," the statement said, noting that the only official designation for Taiwan in the United Nations is "Taiwan, Province of China" and the participation of the Taiwan region in multilateral activities must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle.

"Since last year, China-South Korea relations have returned to the right track of improvement and development, which serves the fundamental interests of both sides and deserves to be cherished," the statement said.

While the South Korean government has repeatedly stressed that its position of adhering to the one-China principle remains unchanged, the embassy said a tiny handful of South Korean politicians and social organizations, driven by self-interest, have challenged China's red line on Taiwan-related issues.

"China's determination to safeguard its core interests and oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces is unwavering," the statement said, adding that attempts by anyone or any force to disrupt China-South Korea relations by playing the "Taiwan card" will all fail.

The embassy strongly urged the organizer and the Gwangju government to correct their mistakes immediately and avoid causing severe negative impact on the biennale's reputation and China-South Korea relations.

The Chinese exhibition team also held a news conference at the Ha Jung-woong Museum of Art in Gwangju on Thursday to announce their withdrawal from the exhibition, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

"We have attached great importance to the Gwangju Biennale and worked hard to prepare for the exhibition," Ruan Yuelai, curator of the China Pavilion, was quoted as saying.

"However, the Gwangju Biennale organizer used an incorrect designation regarding the participation of China's Taiwan region, creating a situation that allows political factors to intervene in the art realm," said Ruan.

The Gwangju city government has publicly apologized for the issue and reaffirmed its commitment to the one-China principle, which is aligned with South Korea's foreign policy, state broadcaster KBS reported on Aug 31.

It said the designation of "Taiwan Pavilion" is only an expression used by artists and does not mean that the government recognizes Taiwan as a country.

However, the Chinese Consulate General in Gwangju expressed strong dissatisfaction on Thursday, saying that the city government, despite the apology, failed to rectify the biennale organizers' wrong practice and urged the government to take concrete action.