[2022 National Audit] "Cultural Heritage Administration Granted Permission Before Non-Cheong Performance Applications"

Netflix "Received Confirmation That Performance Is Possible on May 25"
Cultural Heritage Administration's Cheongwadae Viewing Regulations Effective from June 12
"Netflix Application and Cultural Heritage Administration Approval Are Mere Formalities"

Singer Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) held a solo performance at the Blue House on June 17. Using both the interior and exterior of the main building as his stage, he passionately sang "Rainism." He took off his shirt, showcasing his curves and rhythmic movements, which sparked a heated response.

The spectacular stage was revealed on June 14 through the fourth episode of Netflix's "Take One." On the 23rd, Lee Byung-hoon, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party, raised suspicions of preferential treatment once again. He stated that Netflix recently responded, saying, "We received confirmation from the Cultural Heritage Administration on May 25 that the performance was allowed."

Previously, Representative Lee had raised concerns that Rain's Blue House performance and filming might have been conducted under preferential treatment by the Cultural Heritage Administration. The Cultural Heritage Administration had implemented Blue House viewing regulations from June 12 that restricted filming for commercial purposes, but included a proviso that the rules would apply only to filming conducted after the 20th, allowing Netflix's filming to proceed.

The Cultural Heritage Administration explained that this was to avoid conflicts with provisions such as the application submission deadline (7 days before the filming date) stipulated in the regulations. An official stated, "The grace period was provided to protect the rights of users who submitted applications before the regulations took effect on June 12," adding, "Netflix's filming took place during this grace period before the regulations were actually enforced, so there was no preferential treatment whatsoever." The official further explained, "According to the Blue House viewing regulations, filming permits must be applied for at least 7 days in advance, and location use permits must be submitted 20 days prior to the usage date. This is why a separate proviso regarding the grace period was included."

However, Representative Lee pointed out that the fact Netflix received confirmation of permission before submitting the application suggests that Netflix's application on June 10 and the Cultural Heritage Administration's approval on June 13 were merely formalities. He said, "The essence of this case is that the Cultural Heritage Administration took an unreasonable step to approve a commercial Blue House performance and filming involving even the Presidential Office," and added, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration must clearly explain the various allegations of preferential treatment revealed in the opening and utilization of the Blue House."

This is not the first time Blue House filming has sparked controversy. When Vogue Korea released a hanbok fashion photoshoot titled "Blue House and Fashion!" featuring the Blue House as the backdrop, there was also a debate over pros and cons. Although it was planned to introduce a new modern interpretation of hanbok alongside the publicly accessible Blue House, it was criticized for damaging the historical significance and identity of the Blue House.

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