Regarding the news reports that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a grave warning in connection with a controversy surrounding a cartoon that depicted President Yoon Suk Yeol, we would like to inform you of the following.

In its "nationwide student cartoon and webtoon contest" for middle and high school students, the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency selected a cartoon that describes the President for the winning prize. The issue raised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with the Agency had to do with the failure to properly look into whether the prize-winning cartoon was an original, creative work as required by the Agency before giving it the award. The Ministry would like to state clearly that this issue does not concern freedom of expression.