Return of the satirical "Yoon Suk Yeol Train" exhibit, three years after evoking a firm rebuke from the Yoon administration

The 28th Bucheon International Comics Festival is set to feature a satirical cartoon of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a decision that has sparked controversy and political backlash.

The controversial work, titled "Yoon Suk Yeol Train," was created by a high school student and received the top award in the high school category at the 2022 student cartoon competition. It was previously displayed at the Korea Manhwa Museum from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, 2022.

The cartoon depicts Yoon as a train, with his wife Kim Keon Hee and knife-wielding prosecutors onboard. People are shown fleeing in terror, while a destroyed building, labeled as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, lies in the train's path.

The controversy over the cartoon grew when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism publicly expressed regret and issued a "stern warning" to the organizers. They stated that the display of the cartoon violated the terms of its sponsorship, which disqualifies works containing sexually explicit, violent, or political content.

However, the organizers maintained that the decision to display the controversial work was not politically motivated but part of a routine exhibition of award-winning entries from previous festivals.

The display of the "Yoon Suk Yeol Train" cartoon in 2022 sparked political backlash from advocates for the conservative president, who claimed it was biased against Yoon. After the controversy, the Culture Ministry pulled its sponsorship from the 2023 event of the cartoon festival and cut subsidies for the KMCA.

Despite the backlash, the event will be held from Sept. 26 to 28 at the Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The cartoon will be displayed alongside other prize-winning works by students between 2021 and 2025.

The controversy over freedom of speech was a topic of debate in 2022, with others insisting that freedom of expression must be respected in the face of political backlash. The student cartoon competition and commendation continued throughout 2023 and 2024, but the display of winning works did not take place during that period, while disgraced former leader Yoon was in office.

The Bucheon International Comics Festival, first held in 1995, is one of the largest comics festivals in Asia. This year's festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors, offering a wide range of comics, animation, and related events.