Seoul Councilor Gyeong Man-seon Strongly Criticizes Appointment of Ahn Ho-sang as President of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

Assemblyman Kyung Claims "Withdraw Personnel Decision Made in Nostalgia for Past Glory and Memories as Soon as Possible"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “Is Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon trying to replicate the previous administration's national corruption scandal within the Seoul city government as a new form of administrative corruption and blacklist?”

Assemblyman Gyeong Man-seon

After the Cultural Democracy Practice Solidarity issued a statement opposing the appointment of former National Theater Director An Ho-sang as the new president of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on the 19th of last month, the Seoul city government made no response and appointed Mr. An as the new president on the 1st.

Amid demands from various cultural and artistic organizations to withdraw the appointment of the Sejong Center president, Hankyoreh reported new testimony regarding former director An’s involvement in executing a blacklist, sparking expectations of another major controversy.

In response, Seoul City Council member Kyung Man-seon (Democratic Party, Gangseo 3) strongly criticized Mayor Oh Se-hoon for forcibly pushing through the appointment of the new Sejong Center president.

Mr. An claimed his innocence based on the white paper published in February 2019 by the “Cultural and Arts Blacklist Investigation and System Improvement Committee,” but according to the Hankyoreh report, officials from the Korea Arts Council testified during the committee’s first investigation that Mr. An, who participated as a review committee member for the “Performing Arts Presentation Space Support Project,” colluded in advance to exclude 22 organizations from support. In the second investigation, they reversed their testimony, explaining that “Mr. An Ho-sang threatened to sue us and demanded we retract our statements.”

After reading the Hankyoreh report, Councilman Kyung Man-seon said, “Why is Mayor Oh Se-hoon not responding at all? Does he think silence will quell the controversy?” He added, “Mayor Oh, who once resigned from his position for failing to heed the will of the citizens, seems to be lost in memories with Mr. An Ho-sang, former head of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, and has appointed a figure who was an executor of the previous administration’s national corruption scandal once again to a senior Seoul city position,” raising his voice in criticism.

He continued, “Furthermore, even after resigning as director of the National Theater, Mr. An was at the center of numerous controversies, including allegations of improper interference in the renovation work of the National Theater’s Haeoreum Theater during a national audit.” He said, “As reported by Hankyoreh, the ‘Performing Arts Presentation Space Support Project’ was listed in the crime index of the 2018 Seoul High Court ruling and was confirmed by the Supreme Court’s full bench ruling. However, due to a lack of clear evidence and the nature of the review committee, no suspects were designated, so no prosecution or punishment occurred.” He strongly urged, “Mayor Oh should quickly move on from past glories, listen to the opinions of cultural and artistic communities, and withdraw the appointment of An Ho-sang as the new president of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.”

Mr. An Ho-sang served as the CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture for two consecutive terms during Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s previous administration starting in 2007. He was appointed as director of the National Theater in 2012 under former President Lee Myung-bak’s administration and holds the unprecedented record of being reappointed three times.

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