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Chinese artists have abandoned their participation in a prominent South Korean art exhibition following the permit of Taiwan's inclusion in the event's name, according to officials. The Gwangju Biennale, a major contemporary art event in Asia, is set to launch on Saturday at venues throughout the southwestern city. The disagreement originated when Taiwanese artists claimed organizers initially approved the exhibition name "Taiwan Pavilion," but altered it to "NTMoFA," the abbreviation for Taiwan's National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, without the artists' consent.

This modification eliminated any reference to Taiwan from the promotional materials, according to a joint statement released by the artists last month. The artists accused the organizers of political censorship. China firmly maintains that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory and has threatened to employ force to annex the self-governed island, home to over 23 million people.

Last week, the Gwangju Biennale foundation conceded and agreed to revert the exhibition name to "Taiwan Pavilion." In response, Chinese artists halted their preparations for their pavilion and announced their formal withdrawal on Thursday, as reported by local media. A foundation spokesperson confirmed to AFP that the Chinese artists are withdrawing from the biennale.

China's consulate general in Gwangju stated that the organizers "openly allowed the Taiwan region of China to participate in the exhibition using a name that is completely inconsistent with its status," deeming it a "serious violation of the One China principle." The consulate further urged the Gwangju Biennale organizers to promptly rectify their misconduct.

South Korea's foreign ministry sought to de-escalate the situation, reaffirming the government's position on Taiwan and emphasizing that the decision was made in the cultural and artistic sphere, unrelated to the South Korean government's stance on Taiwan. The ministry expressed hope that the issue would not impact South Korea-China relations or exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.