Cancellation of Nude Photography Contest in Cheorwon-gun Amid Sexual Objectification Controversy

Hantan River National Nude Photography Contest Canceled Suddenly the Day Before
"Should Local Government Budgets Support Nude Photography?" Criticism Continues

The Hantan River National Nude Photography Contest was canceled after controversy. This year marks the 18th edition of the contest, where participants pay an entry fee to photograph professional nude models at tourist sites in Cheorwon. The photo shows the Hantan River columnar jointing trail and is not related to the specific content of the article.

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] The nationwide nude photography contest at Hantan River in Cheorwon, scheduled to be held on the 22nd, was ultimately canceled amid controversy over "sexual commodification" before the event took place.

Marking its 18th year, the Hantan River Nationwide Nude Photography Contest is an event where photography enthusiasts pay an entry fee to photograph professional nude models at tourist sites in Cheorwon. The nude photography contest, which has continued for 20 years, was suspended from 2020 due to COVID-19 but was planned to resume this year. However, it faced a barrage of criticism claiming it "commodifies women's bodies."

Netizens have expressed that the contest is "anachronistic." Various websites featured comments such as "In this day and age, how can you charge an entry fee to take nude photos of women?" and "What are they doing with taxpayers' money?" Complaints demanding the cancellation of the contest were also flooded to Cheorwon County. Ultimately, the organizers hurriedly canceled the event the night before it was to be held. They also announced plans to replace it with a different contest starting next year.

The fact that local governments provide tens of millions of won in support has also sparked controversy. Most participants are men, and most models are young women, with submitted works explicitly exposing women's bodies, raising questions about whether it is appropriate for local governments to fund such events.

In fact, Cheorwon County has been providing 10 million won annually for the event. Daejeon Metropolitan City has also allocated about 10 million won each year from its budget since 1993 for the "Semi-Nude Photography Contest" hosted by the Daejeon branch of the Korea Photographers Association. Changwon City in Gyeongnam Province has been supporting the semi-nude photography contest held by the Masan branch of the Photographers Association with 10 million won annually since 2017.

In the past, Jangheung County in Jeonnam held a semi-nude photography contest as a side event of the "Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival." From 2014, it allocated budgets ranging from 15 million to 30 million won but stopped funding in 2019 after controversy arose. Also, in 2019, there was controversy over the appropriateness of the shooting location ahead of the nationwide sunrise nude photography contest held at Chuam Beach in Donghae.

Opponents of nude photography contests argue that sexual commodification cannot be justified for regional promotion. One netizen said, "There are plenty of other events to promote the region, so it's hard to understand why it has to be a 'nude model contest.'" While 'nudity' itself is not problematic, expressing women's bodies through a male-centered gaze is difficult to justify as art.

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