South Korea—On January 7, several major South Korean media published editorials that criticized the Korean government for kowtowing to the Chinese communist regime by canceling the New Tang Dynasty's (NTDTV) New Year Spectacular in Seoul. The criticizing media included South Korea's most widely distributed news paper Chosun Ilbo and the Kyung Hyang Daily News, which is very influential among Korean intellectuals.
The show was cancelled just one day before its original planned date. NTDTV stated on its website that the National Theater of Korea cancelled the show because of pressure from the South Korea Ministry of Culture, which in turn has been directly pressured by the Chinese communist regime behind the scene.
The initial reason given by the theater for the cancellation was that the Chinese communist regime, who had been protesting very strongly to the the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claimed that NTDTV was an organization hostile to China. The Ministry of Culture issued an official document requesting the cancellation of the show. Later on, the Theater retracted that "the Ministry of Culture had never issued an official document" and that the show was cancelled because NTDTV did not follow the contract.
A Kyung Hyang Daily News editorial stated that they believe the Theater's retraction and last statement was not convincing. Firstly, the unanimity of the Theater statement and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement was suspicious, and secondly, a government official recently said, "Because Falun Gong participates in the show, we have always kept an eye."
"Such a statement from a government official actually makes it apparent that the cancellation process was related to the government" said the Kyung Hyang Daily News editorial article.
The editorial said, "Our country is the only free country not permitting the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit." Last year, the NTDTV New Year Spectacular in South Korea was forced to change to a tiny theater at the last minute because of the Chinese communist regime's pressure.
The editorial appealed to the South Korea Government to "Strictly examine the cancellation process of the NTDTV show, not just using the slogan of 'independent diplomacy' but to thoroughly self examine the diplomacy with the CCP."
A Chosun Ilbo editorial pointed out that NTDTV New Year Spectacular contains traditional Chinese art, and traditional Korean art. This show is not only in Korea, but will be performed in 28 cities around the world, "There is no political implication, the only show cancelled is in South Korea."
The editorial stated, "A breath from the Chinese government is a typhoon to the Korean government; this is not the first time." The editorial also pointed out, "as early as in 1982 when the Dalai Lama wanted to visit Australia, the Chinese Government threatened economic sanctions, Australia did not yield, and China did not actually carry out the substantive sanction later on."
The editorial believed that, if the South Korean government can start to stand by democratic principles on smaller matters, this "interfering in their domestic affairs" by the Chinese Communist regime would not continue to happen.
The NTDTV station is an international, independent, non-profit Chinese TV station founded by overseas Chinese, with its headquarters in New York. There are more than 60 reporter stations in the world. This is the fourth year of the NTDTV New Year Spectacular show. It will be performed in 28 cities around the world with 76 performances. As of January 8, it has already performed in Vancouver and San Francisco.
The Epoch Times is proud to join with New Tang Dynasty TV and Sound of Hope Radio in co-sponsoring NTDTV's Chinese New Year Spectacular ( http://shows.ntdtv.com. )
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