The Gwangju Biennale contemporary art exhibition in South Korea, scheduled to run September 5 through November 15, is facing intense backlash after removing “Taiwan Pavilion” in promotional materials, replacing it with “NTMoFA”, an abbreviation for National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. Taiwan’s Culture Ministry responded in a press release this Monday in firm protest against the unilateral change.

The ministry said it strongly protests the change and will insist on participating under the original name. If organizers are not in agreement, the ministry said it will not rule out taking all necessary measures to defend its rights.

Taiwanese artists and curators last Saturday described the organizers’ “erasure” of the Taiwan Pavilion as a threat to freedom of expression and the global art community through a joint statement.

The official Instagram account for the event, organized by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, has since been flooded with comments including “Where is Taiwan?” and “Where is the spirit of democracy and human rights in Gwangju?” in English, Korean, and Mandarin.

The Culture Ministry said Taiwan spent considerable time engaging in professional dialogue through the National Museum of Fine Arts and Gwangju Biennale Foundation. They say organizers have not yet provided a direct response.