"Freedom of Expression" vs "Vulgar Personal Attacks" What Do You Think About the 'Julie Mural'?

Controversy Arises Over Alleged Personal Attacks on Yoon Seok-yeol's Wife
Mural Owner: "Freedom of Expression Guaranteed by Constitution"
"Random Personal Attacks Should Be Avoided," Calls for Restraint from Political Circles
Expert: "Freedom of Expression Is Important... But One Must Take Responsibility for Their Statements"

A mural painted on an alleyway in Jongno, Seoul on the 29th, aimed at criticizing former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. / Photo by Yoon Seul-gi, intern reporter seul97@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] "Aren't you an opposition party supporter?" "Freedom of expression must be guaranteed."

The so-called 'Julie mural' that appeared at a used bookstore in Jongno-gu, Seoul continues to spark controversy over freedom of expression. The building owner who installed the mural claims it is merely satire using his private property and thus falls under freedom of expression, but some criticize it as a 'vulgar personal attack.' An expert advised that while freedom of expression should be recognized, a mature culture where citizens take responsibility for their own statements must be fostered.

The Julie mural was painted on the outer wall of a used bookstore located in Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu. There are currently six paintings on the first-floor wall of this building, one of which includes the phrase 'Julie's Men' along with the names and titles: '2000 Dr. Amugae, 2005 Chairman Jo, 2006 Prosecutor Pyeong, 2006 Prosecutor Yang, 2007 BM CEO, 2008 Announcer Kim, 2009 Prosecutor Yoon Seobang.' Another mural depicts a blonde woman with the phrase 'Julie's Dream! The First Lady's Dream!'

The woman referred to as 'Julie' in the mural appears to be Kim Geonhee, wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seokyeol. Some claim, based on the so-called 'Yoon Seokyeol X-file,' that Kim used the stage name Julie when she was active in entertainment establishments in the past.

Regarding this, the building owner, Mr. Yeo, who installed the mural, said in an interview with 'Yonhap News' on the 29th, "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."

Mr. Yeo argued that since Kim herself denies being Julie, it does not constitute defamation. He questioned, "Whose honor has been damaged?" and "Julie has not appeared yet, so can't satire be expressed through the mural?"

However, to emphasize that there is no political intent, he added that related phrases such as 'Julie's Dream' would be erased. Around 10 a.m. on the 30th, the mural was painted over with only the woman's face remaining, and phrases like 'Julie's Men' were covered with paint.

On the morning of the 30th, the phrase "Julie’s Men" and the word "Prosecutors" related to the so-called 'Julie Mural' painted on the outer wall of a bookstore in Jongno, Seoul, were painted over. A bookstore official who removed the phrases explained, "I erased them for my livelihood." Photo by Seulgi Yoon, intern reporter seul97@asiae.co.kr

Nevertheless, controversy continues in the political sphere. There are criticisms that severe insults were made to a private individual simply because she is the spouse of a leading presidential candidate.

Professor Kim Geunsik of Gyeongnam National University, chairman of the People Power Party's Songpa-byeong district in Seoul, wrote on Facebook that day, "A pro-Moon Jae-in figure is committing an unreasonable 'private property tyranny' in the heart of Jongno," and questioned, "What would people say if someone installed speakers on the adjacent building playing curse words against Lee Jae-myung's sister-in-law and painted murals satirizing actress scandals on the wall?"

Voices urging restraint also came from within the ruling party. The camp of Lee Jae-myung, a leading presidential candidate from the ruling party and governor of Gyeonggi Province, issued a statement through spokesperson Nam Younghee, saying, "The Julie mural is an expression that has crossed the line," and criticized, "I don't know if it is acceptable to indiscriminately criticize the private life before marriage just because she is the wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon."

Kim Sanghee, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party, also wrote on Facebook that day, "Regardless of whom one supports, this is a clear human rights violation beyond freedom of expression," and urged, "Random personal attacks unrelated to politics should be restrained."

Civilian opinions on the 'Julie mural' were divided. While some defended the right to freedom of expression, others criticized it as a personal attack tantamount to defamation.

The so-called 'Julie Mural' (left) and a conservative YouTuber covering the mural with a truck / Photo by Seulgi Yoon, Intern Reporter seul97@asiae.co.kr

A 40-year-old office worker, Mr. A, said, "Depending on the viewer, it may be unpleasant, but I think there is no basis to criticize the landlord for painting on his own property," and added, "I believe a society where freedom of expression is guaranteed is a healthy society."

Another office worker, Ms. B (33), said, "There are criticisms that ruling party supporters have crossed the line, but if you look at it that way, conservative YouTubers' defamation is much more serious," and pointed out, "At least Julie did not use her real name."

On the other hand, office worker Mr. C (28) said, "Even if she is the wife of a presidential candidate, she is clearly a private individual, not a public figure," and criticized, "Using a private individual's personal life as a subject of ridicule cannot be seen as freedom of expression."

He added, "Freedom of expression is important, but an individual's privacy is a value that must be protected even more," and warned, "Think about how chaotic our society will become if such vulgar personal attacks continue to be tolerated."

An expert suggested that as party supporters increasingly become active during election campaigns, it is necessary to respect freedom of expression while also taking responsibility for one's statements.

Political commentator Lee Jonghoon said, "Although still somewhat unfamiliar domestically, in countries like the United States, it is common to attack opposing party figures or express support through murals," and noted, "If such a culture gradually spreads domestically, it would not be good for the political sphere or media to respond sensitively to every case."

He continued, "The problem is that there are differences in sentiment between Western countries and our people, and also that defamation laws exist domestically, so the environment is different," advising, "While respecting individual supporters' freedom of expression, citizens themselves need to take responsibility for their expressions and statements."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.