The 2016 artist blacklist 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 were monitored, denied funding, and effectively erased from the public eye. Though the government has since apologized and enacted reforms, the scandal’s shadow continues to spark heated debate.
The controversy first drew public attention in 2014, when the documentary Diving Bell, which chronicled the recovery efforts after the Sewol Ferry disaster, played to nearly empty theaters despite widespread public interest. It was later revealed that the film had been deliberately restricted under a covert system of censorship targeting 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.
By 2016, investigative reports confirmed the list’s existence. Dozens of filmmakers, writers, and performers were under surveillance, cut off from public support, and branded as political dissidents.
In 2017, further revelations exposed 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 proving the blacklist was part of an organized system designed to prevent politically disfavored artists from receiving cultural grants or public exposure.
“This reveals the true face of authority,” said Hwang. Kim Mi Hwa added, “I was furious when I read the surveillance reports about me. It’s infuriating that they used their power to monitor individuals.”
According to reports, a total of 82 prominent figures were listed, including novelist Lee Oi Soo, directors Park Chan Wook and Bong Joon Ho, filmmaker and author Lee Chang Dong, actor Moon Sung Keun, and comedian Kim Gu Ra. These artists were blocked from TV appearances, denied government funding, and excluded from state-affiliated art projects.
In 2017, Moon Sung Keun, Kim Mi Hwa, and 34 others filed a lawsuit, claiming the blacklist caused long-term professional and psychological harm. Many lost contracts, saw career opportunities vanish, and suffered public stigma 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 actions widely viewed as political retaliation meant to “discipline” the arts community.
To address the fallout, a Truth Investigation Committee was established in July 2017 to identify those responsible and propose reforms. By 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 more than 100 affected artists.
Then-Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Hwang Hee announced that new laws now protect artists’ status and rights calling this one of the government’s most meaningful reforms. Other measures included counseling programs for victims, expanded creative funding, and employment insurance for cultural workers.
By November 2025, the NIS issued a public apology and withdrew its appeal in the related lawsuit, admitting to both psychological and material harm caused to artists under the Lee Myung Bak administration. The agency 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 it undermined the entire ecosystem of South Korean art and entertainment.
Many artists agree that the deepest wound left by the blacklist was a loss of trust. Actor Moon Sung Keun and several renowned filmmakers continue to demand accountability from former Ministry of Culture officials. A dedicated website for reporting blacklist-related cases has already documented dozens of new submissions proof that even a decade later, the scandal’s echoes are far from fading.
Sources: K14