'Julie Mural' Painted Over in Black... New Mural Announced in Cheongju

(Left) Julie mural painted over in black, (Right) 'Julie mural' also announced in Cheongju [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Amid ongoing controversy surrounding the so-called 'Julie mural,' which contains defamatory content about Kim Geon-hee, wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, a YouTuber painted over the mural with black paint, and in Cheongju, Chungbuk, a netizen declared their intention to recreate the mural, putting the local community on high alert.

According to the police on the 31st, around 4 p.m., a conservative YouTuber identified as A, carrying various equipment, went to the exterior wall of a secondhand bookstore in Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the so-called 'Julie mural' was painted, and painted over it with black paint.

Mr. A covered the image resembling Kim's face with black paint and wrote phrases such as "Where are the feminists and women's groups?" in yellow paint over it.

Previously, the building owner of the bookstore, Mr. Yeo, installed the mural. In an interview with a media outlet, Mr. Yeo stated, "The mural falls within the realm of freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution," and added, "I have no intention of removing it until Julie herself appears." 'Julie' is the alias mentioned in the so-called 'Yoon Seok-yeol X-file' referring to Kim, the wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon.

The bookstore also allowed anyone to graffiti on the mural by hanging a banner stating, "Feel free to enjoy freedom of expression."

As controversy over the mural continued, the bookstore erased the criticized phrases such as "Julie's Dream! The First Lady's Dream!" and "Julie's Men" with white paint the day before.

With conservative YouTubers staging solo protests and various disputes occurring in front of the mural, the police are maintaining order on-site in preparation for any emergencies.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol [Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, on the 31st, a netizen using the Twitter nickname "Purging Pro-Japanese Collaborators" posted, "I will soon paint the 'Julie’s Men' mural in Cheongju," adding, "It seems there will be a nationwide uproar. Oh dear, big trouble for Mr. Yoon." The netizen even shared footage of themselves climbing a ladder to paint, sparking further controversy.

Meanwhile, Kim Kyung-jin, former lawmaker and external cooperation special advisor for former Prosecutor General Yoon’s presidential campaign, said on YTN Radio the previous day, "It seems the campaign has agreed not to take legal action regarding the Julie mural."