- 27 Nov 2012
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This week in France is the Angouleme comics festival, pretty much the best in the world. Not a showcase for Hollywood like in San Diego, but actually the home for respected comic work from around the world.
Art from around the world is showcased there, and this year, the South Korean government has seen to assemble a feature on comfort women.
Comfort women comic expo in France creates controversy : International : Home
It's rare that I side with the Japanese government on any WWII issues, but in this case, I think the South Korean government is being disrespectful of the festival itself, and I think it's unfortunate that the show was accepted.
It's not that political content shouldn't be allowed, but political content organised by a government shouldn't be. If individual artists were simply to show their political views, I would have no issue with it (this is a very large festival, and Korean artists do not require government support to participate). This seems more like making a political statement at the Olympics, which is generally frowned upon.
South Korea has a right to keep this info known, but a festival representing international parties is hardly a fair way to do so.
I want to read more, to at least know that the art featured was made before government involvement. If the art was commissioned, I think that would be a shade worse. Unfortunately, it's hard to get info that isn't in either Korean or French.
Art from around the world is showcased there, and this year, the South Korean government has seen to assemble a feature on comfort women.
Comfort women comic expo in France creates controversy : International : Home
At the 41st Angouleme International Comics Festival in France - the world's largest event dedicated to comics - the truth about the horrors faced by the so-called comfort women (sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II), was expressed and condemned in pieces by Korean comic artists. The exhibition, titled ツ"The Flower That Doesn't Wilt: I'm the Evidence,ツ" successfully opened after encountering some trouble, with a preliminary press conference being canceled.
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The Japanese Foreign Ministry distributed a press release through its diplomatic mission in France expressing its deep concern that the object of the festival - seeking mutual understanding and promoting cordial relations - was being distorted by the comic exhibition about the comfort women promoted by the South Korean government. The cancellation of the press conference appears to be attributable to pressure from Japan and concerns on the part of the organizers that the press conference would look like a political event.
It's rare that I side with the Japanese government on any WWII issues, but in this case, I think the South Korean government is being disrespectful of the festival itself, and I think it's unfortunate that the show was accepted.
It's not that political content shouldn't be allowed, but political content organised by a government shouldn't be. If individual artists were simply to show their political views, I would have no issue with it (this is a very large festival, and Korean artists do not require government support to participate). This seems more like making a political statement at the Olympics, which is generally frowned upon.
South Korea has a right to keep this info known, but a festival representing international parties is hardly a fair way to do so.
I want to read more, to at least know that the art featured was made before government involvement. If the art was commissioned, I think that would be a shade worse. Unfortunately, it's hard to get info that isn't in either Korean or French.