South Korea's Foreign Ministry addressed the controversy surrounding the use of the name 'Taiwan Pavilion' at the Gwangju Biennale on September 3, stating, "Our government's fundamental position regarding Taiwan remains unchanged."
During a regular briefing at the Foreign Ministry's office in Jongno, Seoul, spokesperson Park Doo-soon remarked, "I understand that Gwangju City has also made a clear statement regarding the name of the Taiwan Pavilion."
He added, "This matter was decided based on independent judgment in the cultural and artistic sector and is unrelated to our government's stance on Taiwan." He emphasized, "We hope this incident does not affect Sino-Korean relations and exchanges between the two countries."
Previously, the installation of the 'Taiwan Pavilion' at the Gwangju Biennale sparked backlash from China, leading to the withdrawal of Chinese artists and escalating the controversy.
Additionally, the joint statement from the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China in 1992 includes a clause stating, 'The Government of the Republic of Korea recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China and respects China's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China.' The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has recently reaffirmed this position.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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