Jung Yoonsuk's sex doll documentary sparks controversy at Korea Artist Prize exhibition

Jung Yoonsuk's documentary film Tomorrow (2020) has generated significant controversy as part of the Korea Artist Prize exhibition. The two-hour work examines a factory producing lifelike sex dolls, accompanied by close-up photographs of female doll parts. Much of the public outcry emerged after the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul shared images of the work on social media platforms. Critics on Instagram accused the institution of defending what they called 'rape dolls' and criticized the work for packaging sexual objectification as art. The museum responded with a statement asserting that the documentary actually offers critical commentary on the social phenomenon of buying and selling human dolls. Jung Yoonsuk is one of four finalists for the Korea Artist Prize, alongside Chung Heesung, Lee Seulgi, and Kim Minae. The winner will be announced in February 2021 and receive a KRW 10 million grant. The controversy highlights tensions between artistic expression and social commentary in contemporary Korean art.