Seoul District Removes Missile Art After Resident Complaints
“We have removed the installation and have yet to decide whether to replace it with another work. It was intended to promote world peace and featured other national flags besides North Korea’s. It is unfortunate that the criticism overshadowed that intention,” an official from the Nowon Culture and Arts Center told The Korea Herald on Monday.
A public exhibition in northern Seoul has removed forty missile sculptures bearing the North Korean flag following visitor complaints regarding their suitability for a district-run festival, The Korea Herald reported.
Nowon District Festival Removes Flag-Bearing Sculptures After Complaints
The controversial installation, titled “Thesis-Antithesis-synthesis : latitude37.6538’N longitude 127.0694’E,” was created by artist Park Gun-jae. Each of the forty sculptures measured about one meter tall. They were displayed along a one-kilometer stretch of Danghyeoncheon as part of the annual Nowon Moonlight Walk festival, which opened on Friday.
In addition to North Korea, the sculptures featured flags from six other countries, including China, Iran, Ukraine, and the United States. The exhibition forms part of the festival’s sixth year, which features about 30 works by 24 artists and collectives under the theme “New Moon, New Wishes.” The event is organized by the Nowon Culture and Arts Center and operates with a budget of 600 million won, equivalent to $451,000.
District Officials Cite Deviations From Initial Proposals
The Nowon District Office stated that it first encountered the artwork in its final installed form on opening day. After receiving immediate public pushback, officials initially covered the North Korean flag and requested that the artist make modifications.
District administrators ultimately decided to dismantle the exhibit entirely. According to an official statement released on Monday, the final installation differed from the proposal initially presented to organizers. The district emphasized that the removal was necessary after considering the public nature of the exhibition space and the concerns raised by local residents who use the area daily.
Local authorities acknowledged a breakdown in their review process. The district office admitted that future public art displays will require a much more thorough evaluation of final forms and content before installation.
Second Installation Removed Amid Ongoing Public Criticism
The missile sculptures were not the only artwork targeted for removal during the festival. According to the district office, a second installation titled “The Way of Facing the Truth,” created by artist Lee Tal, was also taken down following public backlash.
That particular piece featured a sign bearing the phrase “YourSouthMyNorth.” Images of the piece had circulated widely on social media platforms, including Instagram, before district officials intervened. The Nowon Moonlight Walk festival is scheduled to run through November 8, leaving organizers to manage the sudden gaps in the night-viewing exhibition while deciding whether to commission replacement works.