China’s decision to press South Korea over the Gwangju Biennale’s “Taiwan Pavilion” has forced Seoul to define how far its One China policy should reach into decisions made by independent Korean institutions.

The absence of further Chinese escalation since the exhibition opened suggests Beijing may also be testing how much pressure it can apply without derailing a broader diplomatic thaw.

The dispute began over whether an exhibition organized by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) could use the name “Taiwan Pavilion.” The Gwangju Biennale Foundation said NTMoFA was classified as an institutional participant and therefore could