New President Promises to Refresh Seoul Arts Center

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

Seoul Arts Center (SAC) is determined to revamp itself through renovation projects and quality programs that cater to an international audience, said its newly inaugurated president, Kim Jang-sil, downtown Seoul, Tuesday.

The former vice culture minister kicks off his three-year tenure with a three-part plan _ to offer high-quality programs, excellent service and safe, comfortable facilities, he said.

``I am not completely new to the arts and culture field, yet I am not an expert, either, so I will consult others and try my best to do my job,'' said the SAC's 12th president.

The center, located in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, is a complex comprised of concert halls, performing arts theaters, art exhibition halls and a calligraphy museum. It also collaborates with the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA).

Kim promised to improve SAC so it could rival top arts centers around the world, both in infrastructure and content. Major changes are in tow, including refurbishing the Towol Theater, launching a new ticketing system, and strengthening its role in local tourism and arts education.

The Towol Theater, which stages small-scale theatrical and musical performances, will expand its capacity from 660 seats to 1,000, by turning the two-story hall into a three-tier one. The 35 billion won construction will begin at the end of the year.

In light of the notorious 2008 fire that shut down the opera theater, SAC has designated the 12th day of each month as a Safety Day, to operate safety-checking arrangements among the staff.

In order to better service visitors, the center will introduce an in-house sales system for advance ticket reservations, which has hitherto been available through separate companies. The service will be available in June at the earliest.

Moreover, the center is determined to become an integral part of the local tourism scene, and will collaborate with the Korea National Tourism Organization and related corporations to provide foreign guests with a chance to partake in backstage tours, enjoy art and museum exhibitions and watch performances. It will also reach out to foreign residents, including diplomats, businesspeople, cultural organizations and immigrant and multicultural families.

Kim, 54, succeeds Shin Hong-soon, former CEO of LG International Corp. Kim had made traditional inroads to his position as vice culture minister. He became a civil servant after passing the 23rd public administration examination and went on to head the culture ministry's art and general affairs departments. Since resigning from civil duty in April, he has been serving as director of the Korean organizing committee for the international group We the Culture Forum.

For more information about the arts center, visit www.sac.or.kr.

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr