The ‘Adult Festival’ in South Korea featuring Japanese adult video (AV) actresses was cancelled due to safety concerns amid public backlash and local government opposition, despite multiple attempts to relocate the event.
The organizers, ‘PlayJoker,’ announced the cancellation through their YouTube channel on Apr. 18, that ‘2024 KXF The Fashion ‘Adult Festival’ has been canceled.
PlayJoker stated that the reason for the cancellation was concerns for the safety of the AV actresses. They explained that the Japanese actresses’ agencies were concerned about their safety due to the heightened public and local government opposition, as well as extreme backlash from women’s groups. The agencies were worried about potential safety incidents for the actresses.
According to PlayJoker, the Japanese agencies raised concerns about the safety of actresses in the Adult Festival due to incidents like the stabbing rampage at Sillim Station and the attack on Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. PlayJoker was unable to guarantee the safety measures for the actresses, which led to the event’s cancellation.
This news of cancellation comes after the event venue was changed three times. The Adult Festival initially faced backlash from various local governments soon after its announcement due to concerns about distorting sexual perceptions and inducing sexual crimes.
The festival was originally planned to take place at a private exhibition hall in Seodun-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon. However, it was cancelled due to opposition from the city of Suwon. A national petition was filed against the event, and Suwon City stated that it would take administrative enforcement if the event proceeded.
The organizers then relocated the Adult Festival to Paju, but faced opposition from the city of Paju as well. Mayor Kim Kyung-il strongly opposed the festival and vowed to use all available administrative resources to prevent it from taking place with the citizens of Paju.
The organizers of an adult festival searched for potential venues to hold the event, but Han River Park and Gangnam District in Seoul repeatedly rejected their requests.
The festival sparked a heated debate in the country with arguments on both sides. Some argued that the festival commodified sex, while others believed that an adult festival for adults posed no problem.
The newly elected proportional representative (PR) of the New Reform Party, Cheon Ha-ram, and Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-joon also joined the debate. Representative Cheon argued that there was no problem with adults enjoying adult culture in an exclusively adult space. He suggested that Seoul and Gangnam District reconsider their decision to ban the Adult Festival.
Mayor Lee Jae-jun responded to criticism of his decision to cancel the Adult Festival by clarifying that the event was not intended for the enjoyment of adult culture, but rather for the promotion of provocative sexual culture. He further stated that the production and distribution of adult videos are illegal in South Korea, and that he would make the same decision to cancel the event if it were to be held again in Suwon.
