"South Korean Conservatism, Desperate"
"The Method Also Idolizes Park Chung-hee"
"If Reported Abroad, It Will Tarnish South Korea's Image"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon criticized Daegu-area Liberty Korea Party lawmakers for proposing pledges such as restoring director Bong Joon-ho's birthplace and erecting a statue in honor of Bong, who won four Academy Awards for the film "Parasite," saying they have "thick faces."
On the 11th, Jin posted on his Facebook, "Korean conservatives are hopeless. Weren't these the people who put Director Bong on a blacklist and forced Vice Chairwoman Lee Mi-kyung of CJ out of her position, causing her to seek asylum in the United States?" he said.
He continued, "I've never seen a conservative government oppress capitalists before," adding, "Now they want to take credit for Director Bong's great achievement?what thick faces they have."
He also pointed out, "Moreover, their method is restoring the birthplace. It's exactly the way they idolized Park Chung-hee," and warned, "If this news spreads to foreign media, it will tarnish the image of Korea as a cultural powerhouse."
Jin further added, "Their mindset is stuck in the 1970s," and said, "Just because everyone uses the same calendar doesn't mean everyone lives in the same era."
Earlier, Kang Hyo-sang, a Liberty Korea Party lawmaker representing Daegu Dalseo-gu B, said at the party's floor meeting that day, "We will build the 'Bong Joon-ho Film Museum' next to the new Daegu City Hall in Duryu Park and make it a world-class film-themed tourism hub along with the new city hall." Director Bong was born in Bongdeok-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu, and attended Namdo Elementary School in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, until the third grade before moving to Seoul.
On the same day, Bae Young-sik, a Liberty Korea Party preliminary candidate running in Daegu, pledged to "permanently commemorate and carry on the great merits of Director Bong, who swept four Oscars," proposing the creation of a 'Bong Joon-ho Film Street,' a 'Bong Joon-ho Cafe Street,' restoration of the 'Bong Joon-ho birthplace,' and erection of a 'Bong Joon-ho statue.'
Park Yong-chan, Liberty Korea Party spokesperson, also released a statement on the 10th upon hearing the news of "Parasite's" Oscar win, saying, "The Korean film Parasite has made new history," and "Following last year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, this is another amazing piece of news." He added, "It can be called a monumental event that showcased the power of Korean film and culture to the world."
Meanwhile, during the Lee Myung-bak administration, the National Intelligence Service created a 'Task Force (TF) to respond to left-wing entertainers,' which led to the mass expulsion of government-critical cultural and artistic figures, and Director Bong was included on the 'blacklist.'
According to the 2017 investigation by the National Intelligence Service Reform Committee, Director Bong was one of 52 film directors, including Lee Chang-dong and Park Chan-wook, who were on the blacklist.
It is also known that a list of "problematic figures" reported to the Blue House in 2014 included 104 filmmakers, among them Director Bong.
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