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.