Chinese officials warned that the Gwangju Biennale controversy over the name Taiwan Pavilion could damage Korea-China ties and even become another THAAD row. They said allowing Taiwanese artists to use the name violated the One China principle and crossed a red line. Korea’s foreign ministry said the issue was a decision by private cultural actors and should not affect bilateral cooperation. The culture ministry said the foundation runs the biennale and that the government has no direct role.
Artwork sits discarded at the Ha Jungwoong Museum of Art in Gwangju, Thursday, after Chinese artists and curators withdrew from the Gwangju Biennale 2026. The group pulled out in protest of the biennale’s decision to allow the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts to use the name "Taiwan Pavilion" rather than its institutional title. Yonhap
Controversy over the name of a Taiwanese exhibition venue at Gwangju Biennale has fueled concerns of a potential diplomatic conflict between Korea and China.
Chinese officials say that the biennale organizers’ permission for the participating Taiwanese artists to use the name of “Taiwan Pavilion” is against the “One China” principle, and that the decision crossed a “red line.” They warned that its impact on the bilateral relationship between Korea and China could be as serious as the diplomatic row over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system deployment in 2017.
