Parodies cause more than laugh

A copycat painting featuring Moon Jae-in having given birth to a baby resembling his former boss, the late President Roh Moo-hyun, was posted on the Internet Wednesday, days after an artist’s original painting caused a stir.

It is a parody of left-wing artist Hong Sung-dam’s recent painting, dubbed “Golden Time Doctor Salutes the Late President Park Chung-hee,” which ignited a pros and cons debate over the freedom of artistic expression.

Golden Time is a popular medical drama having aired 23 episodes from July to September by broadcaster MBC.

In the original painting, Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party smiles at a new-born baby resembling her late father President Park after giving birth to him.

In the parody version, Moon makes a face with his eyes closed, holding a new-born baby with the late Roh’s face in his right hand. There is a watch on the floor.

Moon wore the so-called “Roh Moo-hyun watch” made in February 2007 on the occasion of the late President Roh’s leaving Cheong Wa Dae after his tenure ended. Moon, who served as presidential chief of staff to the late Roh, was a friend and key aide to the former president.

As the presidential election approaches, various versions of presidential candidate parodies have popped up on the Internet to help bloggers have fun while searching the web.

They feature each candidate’s characteristics, their ties with particular people, or objects, or their unique accomplishments.

One parody of Park on the web features her patriotism. In the photo, the presidential candidate wears a wedding dress and behind her is the national flag. There is no husband-to-be in the parody.

The letters of Republic of Korea (in Korean) were printed on it.

A blogger who posted the parody explained that Park’s husband is the Republic of Korea, indicating the daughter of the late president loves her country very much.

An Ahn parody focused on the software billionaire-turned-presidential candidate’s development of the anti-virus vaccine V3 when he was a Seoul National University graduate school student.

It imitated the poster of the popular film “Resident Evil.” In it, Ahn holds a gun and the phrase that “No Security System Can Penetrate Their System” (in Korean) on the top.

“A super anti-virus vaccine that can save the world” is written near the bottom of the poster.

Ahn established the Internet start-up AhnLab, an anti-virus vaccine provider, in the 1990s. The company produces the V3 series of products. <The Korea Times/Kang Hyun-kyung>