Taiwan's Name Deleted from Gwangju Biennale Promotional Materials, South Korea Apologizes to Culture Ministry

The Taiwan Pavilion was absent from electronic promotional materials for the Gwangju Biennale, which sparked a protest from the Ministry of Culture. The Gwangju Biennale is a globally renowned art exhibition that will take place in Gwangju, South Korea, this year. In 2026, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts made its debut at the event under the name Taiwan Pavilion, marking an important milestone in Taiwan-South Korea cultural exchange. However, a surprising phenomenon arose when the electronic promotional materials were published, with the Taiwan Pavilion name nowhere to be found, replaced instead by the museum's English name.

The Ministry of Culture expressed its discontent with this development and issued a formal protest today. According to sources, the production of electronic promotional materials for the Gwangju Biennale is the responsibility of the South Korean organizers, while the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is in charge of providing relevant data and information. However, in the course of publication, the museum's name was replaced with its English name, and the word "Taiwan," a crucial national emblem, was completely omitted. This move has left the Ministry of Culture feeling extremely dissatisfied, describing it as a lack of respect and dignity towards Taiwan.

The Ministry of Culture stated that the Gwangju Biennale is an important platform for cultural exchange between Taiwan and South Korea, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts' participation in the event is a crucial effort by Taiwan. However, if the Taiwan Pavilion name is absent from the electronic promotional materials, it implies that Taiwan's efforts and contributions are being completely disregarded. The Ministry of Culture emphasized that the word "Taiwan" is a symbol of Taiwan's autonomy and sovereignty, and its presence is a crucial factor in the success of the Gwangju Biennale.

The Ministry of Culture has already lodged a formal protest with the South Korean organizers and has requested that they rectify the error as soon as possible. The Ministry of Culture also pledged to closely monitor the activities related to the Gwangju Biennale and ensure that Taiwan's rights and interests are fully protected. At the same time, the Ministry of Culture called on the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and relevant Taiwanese units to work together to ensure the success of this exhibition and make new contributions to the development of Taiwan-South Korea cultural exchange.

The success of the Gwangju Biennale is not just about artistic and cultural exchange, but also reflects the political and economic relationship between the two countries. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture's protest is not just about the error in the electronic promotional materials, but also about Taiwan's interests and position in the Gwangju Biennale. The protest by the Ministry of Culture also indicates that Taiwan will continue to make new efforts to contribute to the development of Taiwan-South Korea cultural exchange.

Finally, the Ministry of Culture's protest has led us to ponder an important question: what is the true essence of cultural exchange? What is the purpose of cultural exchange? Is it to increase mutual cultural awareness and understanding or to showcase one's cultural superiority and dominance? The success of cultural exchange is not just about artistic and cultural exchange, but also reflects the important aspects of political and economic relationships between the two countries. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture's protest has also led us to ponder the true essence and purpose of cultural exchange.