The 2016 artist blacklisting scandal remains one of the most shocking events in South Korea’s modern cultural history, revealing how political power can be used to suppress artistic freedom, the very foundation of the country’s cultural influence.
Thousands of artists have been monitored, denied funding and effectively erased from the public eye. Although the government has since apologized and enacted reforms, the shadow of the scandal continues to spark heated debate.
The controversy first attracted public attention in 2014, when the documentary was released Diving bellwhich chronicled the recovery efforts after the Sewol Ferry disaster, was shown to nearly empty theaters despite widespread public interest. It was later revealed that the film had been deliberately restricted by a secret censorship system aimed at creators critical of the government. Artists who spoke out against then-President Park Geun Hye or expressed sympathy for opposition politicians were placed on a secret blacklist, limiting their access to audiences and government funding.
In 2016, investigative reports confirmed the existence of the list. Dozens of filmmakers, writers and artists were under surveillance, cut off from public support and labeled political dissidents.
In 2017, further revelations revealed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) had maintained a similar blacklist dating back to the administration of President Lee Myung Bak, with explicit directives to isolate those deemed “undesirable”.
Writer Hwang Sok Yong and comedian Kim Mi Hwa later released documents showing that the blacklist was part of an organized system designed to prevent politically disfavored artists from receiving cultural subsidies or public visibility.
“This reveals the true face of authority” Hwang said. Kim Mi Hwa added, “I was furious when I read the surveillance reports on me. It’s infuriating that they used their power to monitor people.”
According to reports, a total of 82 prominent figures were listed, including novelist Lee Oi Soo, directors Park Chan Wook AND Bong Joon Hodirector and author Lee Chang Dongactor Moon Sung Keun and comedian Kim Gu Ra. These artists have been barred from appearing on TV, denied government funding, and barred from state-affiliated art projects.
In 2017, Moon Sung Keun, Kim Mi Hwa and 34 others filed a lawsuit, claiming that the blacklist had caused long-term professional and psychological harm. Many have lost contracts, seen career opportunities disappear and faced public stigmatization as “monitored individuals”.
The scandal also hit cultural institutions. After Diving bell Screened at the Busan International Film Festival in 2014, it faced budget cuts and repeated audits widely seen as political retaliation intended to “discipline” the artistic community.
To address the consequences, a truth investigation committee was established in July 2017 to identify those responsible and propose reforms. As of May 2018, the committee had outlined 85 corrective measures, 62 of which have since been implemented.
In December 2021, South Korea’s Constitutional Court declared the Park Geun Hye-era blacklist unconstitutional, ruling that it violated freedom of expression. The following month, the Seoul Central District Court ordered compensation for over 100 affected artists.
Then-Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee announced that the new laws now protect the status and rights of artists, calling it one of the government’s most significant reforms. Other measures included counseling programs for victims, increased creative funding and employment insurance for cultural workers.
In November 2025, the NIS issued a public apology and withdrew its appeal in the related lawsuit, admitting both psychological and material harm caused to artists under the Lee Myung Bak administration. The agency has pledged to abolish domestic intelligence divisions and reform laws to prevent future political interference.
However, cultural experts warn that the damage extends beyond individual careers and weakens the entire South Korean arts and entertainment ecosystem.
Many artists agree that the deepest wound left by the blacklist was the loss of trust. Actor Moon Sung Keun and several renowned directors continue to hold former Ministry of Culture officials to account. A website dedicated to reporting cases related to the blacklist has already documented dozens of new documents submitted as evidence that, even a decade later, the echoes of the scandal are far from fading.
Sources: K14
