Culture ministry unveils plan to spread arts funding beyond Seoul
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The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism unveiled its third five-year plan for developing regional culture, aiming to shift resources away from the Seoul metropolitan area and toward the rest of the country.
The 2026-2030 plan builds on two earlier phases and is designed to fit the government's "five hubs, three special zones" strategy, a national development framework that groups Korea into five economic megaregions and three special administrative zones to spread growth beyond the capital area.
The ministry said it drafted the plan after policy research, regional debates and input from all 16 provincial-level governments.
Under the slogan "everyday life with culture, regions people want to stay," the plan lays out four strategies and 16 tasks. They include requiring local governments to draft "cultural rights guarantee plans" ― pledges to ensure residents' access to cultural life ― that would be funded jointly through multiyear agreements with the central and provincial governments.
Other measures include building a database to certify and place artists, instructors and cultural planners in local jobs; converting idled factories and other unused sites into cultural venues; and expanding a weekly "Culture Day" program. The ministry also plans to build multipurpose dome stadiums so regions outside Seoul can host concerts and sports events year-round, and to relocate or build new national museums, art galleries and libraries outside the capital.
A separate initiative, called the "RE:CORE" project, will pair cultural programs with startup support to revitalize aging old town centers, in cooperation with the land and small business ministries. The plan also calls for using artificial intelligence in museum archives and library education, and for expanding the "Youth Culture Pass" subsidy program in 2027 to cover more applicants and activities.
The ministry plans to hold briefings in October for provincial and municipal officials and cultural foundations to explain the plan.
"People stay in a region not just for jobs and housing, but for the culture they can enjoy there," Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said in a statement.
"We will guarantee that everyone can enjoy culture without discrimination, regardless of where they live, and support regions in building the strength to create and grow their own culture."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.