Rethinking Freedom of Expression in South Korea

This paper discusses the boundaries of the freedom of expression and proposes an alternate definition in light of the recent controversy generated over the painting Dirty Sleep, a satirical piece depicting the former South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, in the nude. The authors compare and analyze landmark cases from America and Korea regarding the standards for freedom of expression in relation to concepts of serious value, community, and the standards of obscenity. Furthermore, the author reviews the level of recognition and understanding of freedom of expression in South Korea using an interdisciplinary method based in legal theory. Results demonstrate the need to reestablish national and community standards with respect to the definition of obscenity, as well as the need to establish a jury of experts to determine the boundaries of the freedom of expression.