Korean Newspaper Prints Nude Photos of Shin Jeong-ah

The Munhwa Ilbo evening paper printed two pictures alongside an article with the headline: “Nude Photos of Shin Jeong-ah Discovered in a High Ranking Official’s Home” in its September 13 issue. The art community is in shock, and there is a growing controversy on the Internet about invasion of privacy issues.

Under the headline: “Nude Photos of Shin Jeong-ah Discovered,” the Munhwa Ilbo reported on its front page that “The pictures that Munhwa Ilbo obtained reveals Shin posing stark naked. With alternately shy and blank expressions, Shin exposed her front, side, and back in a bathroom inside a room stocked with books.” On page three the censored pictures with frontal and backside nudity were shown.

The article reported that photography experts explained, “The picture has not been doctored. The setting of these pictures was a very private location, and they were taken with a common camera; judging from the natural composition and Shin’s facial expressions, they are not professional nude pictures.”

In page three, the article also mentioned the possibility of Shin having bribed high ranking officials in the arts community with sex, asking, “Can sex bribery be punished?”

Many well-known names of veteran artists who have participated in the exhibits Shin held or are closely acquainted with Shin have come up in speculating who took these pictures. Suspicion fell on some artists in particular, but all declared the matter absurd.

One such artist stated, “I’ve never met Shin, and I’ve never participated in a group exhibit at the Sunggok Arts Museum. Recently I’ve been ill and I don’t get around as much. I suppose whoever released these pictures is spreading rumors to hide his or her tracks.”

Another artist said, “It’s true I was close with Shin and participated in many of her exhibits, but I’ve never taken any nude pictures. I’ve taken pictures of her face before maybe, but no nudes. Nude photography isn’t even my area of expertise.”

Still another said, “Even if we were that close, who would do such a thing at my age. I don’t understand why anyone would release such pictures.”

The art exhibit planner responded, “There’s no reason for old-timer artists to keep those nude pictures. Maybe a young artist met her through an old acquaintance and took those pictures?”

The fine arts circle is in turmoil over the alleged “inappropriate relations” between Shin and former presidential secretary of policy planning Byeon Yang-gyun, and the newly released nude photos of Shin.

One curator said, “They say Shin was very courteous to the old-timers, but all this can’t really have been going on. If those photos are real it would make it seem like people sleep with bosses to get promotions in the arts world, and I would feel terrible.”

A young, green curator just three months into the job said, “When there’s a scandal of this sort in the United States I’ve seen them assess the situation by how well the person did his or her job, so can’t we do that, too? We shouldn’t obsess over Shin’s dirty laundry but focus on how well she pulled off her exhibits.”

On the Internet, controversy is stirring as to the justification of posting private nude photos without consent. Women’s communities claimed, “Printing Shin’s nude photos shows that there’s no sense of human rights here for women,” and demanded the paper delete the article immediately and issue an official apology.

“No matter what wrongs Shin committed and what bribery allegations she is facing, printing private nude photos of an individual in a newspaper is just sick journalism,” said one critic.

There are also suggestions that the pictures may not be entirely real when compared to Shin’s older photos. One artist said, “We can’t be 100 percent sure it’s her when looking at the shape of her torso and feet. And it doesn’t really seem like Shin to take a picture in a background that isn’t posh.”

heo@donga.com