The group of lawyers has so far recruited 474 plaintiffs from among the almost 10,000 artists on the list.
The Republic of Korea, President Park Guen-hye and other government officials are to be sued, according to a statement by MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society, among the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.
The group of lawyers, whose name translated into English from Korean means “Legal Counteraction Group for President Park Administration’s Cultural, Art industry Blacklist Crisis,” has so far recruited 474 plaintiffs from among the almost 10,000 artists on the list.
A spokesman for the special prosecutor’s office, Lee Kyu-chul, said that the cultural ministry banned artists on this list from receiving government funds.
The names of the artists on the blacklist have not been made public, although a leaked document included prominent, award-winning Korean writers.
The statement comes a day after South Korea’s special prosecutor indicted two former members of Park’s government — former culture minister Cho Yoon-sun and former presidential chief of staff, Kim Ki-choon — on charges of abuse of power, coercion, and perjury in relation to their involvement in the drafting of the so-called blacklist.
Both have denied all charges, according to the spokesman, Lee. Cho and Kim will be listed as defendants in the lawsuit, the statement said.
