China Urges South Korea to Uphold One-China Principle

China’s Foreign Ministry has formally called on the South Korean government to practically implement the One-China principle, following a dispute over the naming of Taiwan’s exhibition space at the 16th Gwangju Biennale that prompted Chinese artists to withdraw from the event. The diplomatic escalation, announced September 3, marks a significant test for improving China-South Korea relations.

The Diplomatic Statement

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the Gwangju Biennale organizers “blatantly violated the One-China principle” by allowing Taiwan to participate under a name inconsistent with its status, according to Xinhua News. China has lodged “solemn representations” with South Korea and demanded immediate correction of the “wrongful practice.”

“The joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea clearly states that the government of the Republic of Korea recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, and respects China’s position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China,” Guo said. “We hope the South Korean government will honor its political commitments, take real responsibility, and practically implement the One-China principle through concrete actions.”

The Chinese Embassy in Seoul issued a separate statement saying the biennale organizers’ actions “seriously violate the One-China principle” and “directly damage the political foundation of China-South Korea relations.” The embassy noted that Taiwan’s only designation in the United Nations is “Taiwan, Province of China” and that Taiwan’s participation in multilateral activities must be handled in accordance with the One-China principle.

The Naming Dispute

The controversy began months ago when Taiwan’s National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) applied to participate in the biennale under the name “Taiwan Pavilion.” The Gwangju Biennale Foundation initially agreed, but in June changed the name to “NTMoFA Pavilion” without consulting the Taiwanese team. After protests from Taiwanese artists and government officials who characterized the change as “political censorship,” the foundation reversed course on August 25 and restored the “Taiwan Pavilion” designation.

Chinese artists responded by halting installation work on August 28. On September 3, Chinese curator Luan Weirai announced at a press conference at the Ha Jung-woong Museum of Art in Gwangju that Chinese artists were withdrawing from the biennale in strong protest, as The Chosun Daily reported. Nineteen Chinese artists and curators had been scheduled to display works from September 5 through November 5.

“The organizers’ incorrect use of terminology regarding the participation of China and Taiwan in the exhibition has led to political interference in art,” Luan said. “Therefore, the Chinese side has decided to withdraw in strong protest.”

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing had previously met with Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Mayor Min Hyung-bae on August 27 to express regret and concern over the use of “Taiwan Pavilion,” according to The Korea Times. The Korea Times noted the issue could potentially grow into a serious diplomatic row similar to the fallout over the THAAD missile system, which chilled bilateral relations for nearly a decade.

South Korea’s Response

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry sought to distance the government from the decision, framing it as a private-sector matter. Spokesperson Park Doo-soon said the issue “was decided independently by the private sector in the cultural and artistic sphere and is unrelated to our government’s position on Taiwan,” as Yonhap News Agency reported. He added, “We hope this matter will not affect South Korea-China relations or exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.”

South Korea has maintained its policy of respecting the One-China principle since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1992, and the government reaffirmed this stance in June 2026 during President Lee’s state visit to China.

Biennale Foundation’s Response

Gwangju Biennale Foundation CEO Youn Bum-mo expressed regret over the Chinese withdrawal and pledged to reform the pavilion system to prevent future controversies, according to Yonhap. “We hoped to avoid this becoming a diplomatic issue but ended up in an uncomfortable situation with China, which is embarrassing and regrettable,” he said at a press conference on September 4.

“The very method of distinguishing between institutions and nations can create confusion like this,” Youn added. “There must be a fundamental change to the pavilion system. We are going to begin exploring ways to improve it.” He stressed the biennale’s commitment to remaining a non-political arts event: “We are an arts institution, and politics is politics. Rather than conflating the two, we want to underscore that this is a pure arts event.”

The foundation also issued a formal statement apologizing for the “concern, confusion and disappointment caused to artists, participating institutions, audiences and stakeholders in Korea and abroad,” as The Taipei Times reported.

Broader Implications

The dispute has drawn the art world into broader China-Taiwan geopolitical tensions and raised questions about cultural autonomy versus diplomatic sensitivities in South Korea. As Korea Pro noted, the naming fight shows how quickly China’s diplomatic sensitivities can collide with cultural autonomy in South Korea, especially at an institution built around Gwangju’s democratic legacy - the city was the site of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising against authoritarian rule.

The controversy has also affected the Yeosu World Islands Expo, with China’s Zhoushan City in Zhejiang Province deciding not to participate in the promotional pavilion, as The Chosun Daily reported.

The New York Times Chinese noted that the incident comes at a delicate moment for China-South Korea relations. Since taking office last year, South Korean President Lee has sought to improve ties with Beijing, reversing the harder-line stance of his predecessor. The Chinese Embassy statement acknowledged that “since last year, China-South Korea relations have returned to the correct track of improvement and development, which serves the fundamental interests of both sides.”

What to Watch

The 16th Gwangju Biennale opened to the public on September 5 and is scheduled to run through November 15. Key questions remain: Will the dispute escalate further into broader diplomatic friction between Beijing and Seoul? Can the biennale foundation reform its pavilion system to prevent similar controversies? And will the Yeosu World Islands Expo suffer collateral damage from the same dispute?

China’s response - involving the Foreign Ministry, the embassy, and the Taiwan Affairs Office - signals that Beijing views this as a matter of core national interest. As Guo Jiakun warned, “The DPP authorities are using cultural exchanges, conferences and exhibitions to engage in political manipulation and separatist provocations. Their intentions are malicious and their methods are despicable. Their political schemes will not succeed.”

For South Korea, the challenge lies in balancing its diplomatic commitments to China with its democratic tradition of cultural autonomy. The resolution of this dispute - and the reforms the biennale foundation has promised - will likely set a precedent for how similar cultural events navigate the sensitive intersection of art and geopolitics in the future.