Culture to Unite People for Overcoming Economic Slump

By Yu In-chon

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The economic crisis is widely spreading across the world. Korea and other major countries are sparing no efforts in overcoming it. What draws fresh attention during the process is ``culture.'' There may seem to be no relation between culture and the economic crisis, but the fundamental way to cope with it comes from culture because it heals people's painful hearts. During these economically difficult times, our lives would be much harsher without culture and art.

Yu In-chon, minister of
culture, sports and tourism

In addition, now is the era of cultural content. Without creative cultural content, there is no sustainable economic growth and we cannot get out of the era of ``economic growth without employment.''

This year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism set major policies focusing on making the country warm-hearted with culture, as we believe that culture can unite people's minds and offer the wisdom and composure needed to overcome the crisis.

Seeking Solution to Global Economic Crisis

The ministry set three main goals ― give people hope through culture; enhance the economic vitality through cultural contents; and build future-oriented, global Korea ― and suggests 10 tasks to achieve them. They're intended to give hope and comfort, create more jobs and encourage more investments. In the long term, the goals reflect the government's intention to reinvigorate the social atmosphere.

In particular, the ministry set aside some 2.84 trillion won in creating jobs in the culture, sports and tourism sectors and building culture and arts infrastructures to enhance the local quality of life.

One point sixty-one trillion won, or 62 percent of the aforementioned budget will be implemented in the first half of the year to revitalize the economy and yield the policy's effects as soon as possible.

`Hopeful Korea Project' Spreading

The government is also strengthening support for the underprivileged. The ministry is introducing ``Lucky Bag Cultural Volunteers,'' which supports cultural experiences for the less fortunate and those who live in remote areas, and ``Cultural Subway,'' which offers cultural activities to high school students and workers at small- and medium-sized companies.

Starting from March, a total of 135 billion won will be spent on the so-called ``Hopeful Korea Project,'' providing culture and sports vouchers, including ``Sarang Ticket,'' a membership service that provides discounts on cultural performances and welfare tourism.

The project includes various experience programs, such as building a cultural community as its pilot program, a sports program for the severely handicapped, a weekend experience program and a book-reading campaign.

Unsold tickets to cultural events will be available at discounted prices to students and teachers and national museums are extending free admission policies that started last year through this year.

The government is also devising culture and arts education programs to help students from remote mountain and sea villages and single parent families.

Some 60,000 students from about 1,000 schools around the country will be entitled to the culture and arts education program.

The program will be specially operated for about 20,000 culturally underprivileged people, including abandoned children living in orphanages, the elderly, the handicapped and soldiers.

Embracing Provincial Areas and Artists

The government is also introducing policies to boost artists' creativity and revitalize culture and arts activities.

The ministry will spend 7 billion won in creating jobs for artists and offering opportunities for people to enjoy culture under the ``Art New Deal Project.''

Artists and residents will also join hands in remodeling centers for the elderly, and traditional markets into cultural spots through the ``Public Arts Project.''

Writers are supposed to teach residents writing at literary houses and libraries. The performing arts groups performing dramas, traditional music and dances will visit less affluent areas to offer various performances.

Culture, Sports Facilities Widely Available

The ministry will establish more culture and sports facilities to live up to the standards of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), beginning with constructing a new National Museum of Contemporary Art in the current Defense Security Command, situated next to Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul. The current museum is located in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The ministry will also build 251 public libraries, 180 museums and galleries and 25 cultural centers by 2012, and combine culture and sports facilities.

The ministry's major sports aim is making people enjoy sports 15 minutes after leaving home. We will build a total of 248 public sports facilities, including 18 sports parks and 52 public gymnasiums, with a 238.5 billion won budget. Also, 116 specialized sports facilities for professional athletes will be built.

The ministry's sports policy for youth will improve the physical education environment at schools, making students exercise more and better by dispatching 1,000 assistant gym trainers at elementary schools this year. The ministry has also spent 45 billion won in building the gyms at 25 schools, providing assistance to 100 schools by laying grass and urethane tracks at school playgrounds and establishing multi-purpose grounds.

The ministry will also extend support to more than 30 sports clubs to improve quality of public health and welfare.

Supports for the Elderly and Multi-Cultural Families

Aging, the low-birth rate and the emergence of multicultural families are creating a cultural blind spot in our society. The ministry will enact the ``leisure promotion'' law to boost public cultural activities and introduce policy to make cultural programs available to every senior citizen at 150 regional cultural centers nationwide. The government will also strengthen various programs for immigrants, linking Korean language and culture and raising Koreans' awareness of their increasingly multicultural society.

Creating Quality Jobs in Cultural Contents Industry

The cultural contents industry is the driving force of the next generation's economic growth, and the ministry will create quality jobs for young jobseekers through various programs. It will encourage individuals to freely transact their ideas and knowledge and open businesses in association with the Future Organization Committee. It's hoped that experts who have skills and knowledge necessary in the fields of planning, creation and marketing will be nurtured. Furthermore, the production and development of next generation fusion content such as computer graphics will be supported. Future-oriented game technology will also be supported through a global game hub center for content development and experts will be hired to help open new businesses.

In addition, the government will create some 12,000 social service jobs this year through the ``Arts New Deal Project'' and youth internship programs and offer 9,508 jobs by extending the operation of the cultural facilities and nurture cultural arts instructors and train sports and gym trainers in the social service sectors with 77.5 billion won in funding.

Investment in Content, Tourism and Sports

As the cultural content industry comes with high profit and high risk, companies are experiencing financial difficulty.

The ministry will invest 70 billion won in the cultural contents investment association, which will be created in the first half of the year, and attract private investment to the association.

The government is also expanding support to content production to build up trust between investors and contents producers and reinvigorate private investment and invest 14.7 billion won in a mid-budget film fund and the joint production film investment association through development funds to improve the profitability of the local industry and rationalize the structure.

To create the basic foundation and revitalize the media industry, the ministry is set to implement the media mediation act and seek ways to promote reading culture, improve journalism funds and boost the functions of the Korea Audit Bureau of Circulations to revive the sagging newspaper industry.

Some six billion won will also be spent for R&D in the sports industry to upgrade sports gear products and make them highly valuable value-added business models.

In the tourism sector, the government will expand loans by 12 percent to 238.5 billion won this year to ease tourist hotel and other facility owners' costs.

The expanded loan program is expected to solve management problems in the tourism sector and improve tourism infrastructure.

Eying Overseas Market

The ministry is assisting overseas branches of contents-related companies by introducing the tourism products tailored to the foreign tourists by region and developing the marketing strategies. In addition, the Global Content Center (GCC), which offers export consultations, financial support, overseas marketing and legal contracts, will be introduced to help small-and-mid-sized companies that have little overseas experience and lack funds.

The ministry will intensify consultation support and showcase export content, joint production and investment, targeting overseas strategic regions so as not to discourage overseas marketing activities despite the soaring foreign exchange rate.

The tourism industry will adopt differentiated marketing strategies to appeal to Japanese and Chinese tourists with cultural products such as dramas, films, B-boy bands and taekwondo to sustain the hallyu ― Korean culture wave ― boom.

Various theme products such as Korea-Japan cultural products and cultural experience products will be introduced for Japanese tourists and in October, the Korea-Japan festival will be held. The ministry will also come up with measures to simplify procedures for individual foreigners' visas, operate the Korea-China Night in July and run the Korea-China Friendship Program.

Who Is Yu In-chon
Yu In-chon is Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Yu graduated from Chung-Ang University in Seoul and served as professor at the university before being named as the minister.

Yu was a top actor in major TV dramas, movies, and musicals for 35 years. He started out as an actor in 1974, appearing in MBC-TV's hit drama ``Jeonwonilgi'' and the musicals ``Jesus Christ Superstar'' and ``Roman Holiday'' and play ``Hamlet.'' Yu was thought of as one of the best Korean actors to portray Hamlet. His latest work as an actor was MBC TV's ``Confess'' in 2002.

Yu has been president of You Theater since 1999. He served as chief director of Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture in 2004 and advisor in the 17th Presidential Transition Committee and vice chairman of the 17th Presidential Inaugural Committee in January 2008.

Culture Also Goes Green
Developing Cultural Resources Alongside Four Rivers

There are affluent historical and cultural resources around four major rivers here ― Han, Yeongsan, Nakdong and Geum ― with picturesque natural environments.

Therefore, if the areas are developed as historical and cultural spots, they will become international tourism attractions and ultimately balance out the nation's development.

The ministry is setting aside 52.2 billion won in 51 associated cultural environment development projects and developing the cultural and ecological tour routes and bicycle paths.

Currently, 361 underground historical assets and designated heritages are supposedly to be found along the rivers. The ministry will find and restore them and make a ``Native Culture Map Along the Four Rivers,'' named after the refurbishment project.

The ministry will also cooperate with other ministries to develop the riverside regions as places of leisure, including sports. In association with the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of Environment and the provincial municipal governments, the culture ministry will set up guidelines for sports facilities, including aquatic.

In addition, along with the formation of various leisure facilities such as inline skating and bicycle paths, parks and golf courses, the government will foster international sports such as ``swimming marathons'' and ``kayak marathons.''

Green Culture

``Low-carbon, green growth'' is becoming the main paradigm for sustainable growth, and the ministry will ride the green policy wave in the policy making process.

The government will designate the 684 kilometers area ranging from Cheonwang Peak to Hyangno Peak at Mt. Jiri as a cultural and ecological exploration route.

It will also develop 22 sections spanning 700 kilometers of closed railway tracks and whistle stops as tourist spots. The so-called ``Slow Cities,'' such as Sinan, Jangheung, Damyang and Wando, will be designated as green tourism spots and be connected to other tourism courses such as wetlands, foreshores ― migratory bird habitats ― and the Demilitarized Zone.

Closed thermal power plants and railway stations will be transformed into multiplex culture and art facilities with regional tradition and history as rich as those of the Tate Modern Gallery in London, and the Orsay Museum in Paris. The ministry will appoint five spots, including an inner harbor in Gunsan, a salt farm and a salt storehouse in Sinan and closed quarries in Pocheon as part of the culture and arts belt. The old site of Seoul Station will be also turned into a cultural complex.