Korea consolidates traditional arts agencies to amplify cultural reach
Summary
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it will merge the Gugak Broadcasting Foundation and the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation to strengthen support for gugak and other traditional arts. The merger is part of a government plan announced Sept. 3 to reorganize public institutions with overlapping roles. The ministry expects the organizations’ media promotion and performance-production capabilities to work together. A task force will develop a phased implementation plan and revise relevant laws, but no effective date or new organization name has been specified.
Key Facts
- The Gugak Broadcasting Foundation operates Gugak FM and works to distribute gugak content through broadcasting.
- Established in 2007, the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation has supported the creation and production of traditional performing arts and trained professionals.
- The ministry plans to form a task force with both organizations and revise relevant laws as part of the merger process.
- Gugak includes court and ritual music as well as folk genres such as pansori, musical storytelling performed by a singer accompanied by a drummer.
A musician plays the gayageum during a concert at Daeonsil, the historic glass greenhouse at Changgyeong Palace in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it will merge the Gugak Broadcasting Foundation and the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation to build a stronger base for promoting "gugak," or traditional Korean music, and other traditional arts.
The move is part of a government plan announced Sept. 3 to reform the functions of public institutions, under which bodies with overlapping roles are to be merged or reorganized.
The Gugak Broadcasting Foundation, which operates the radio station Gugak FM, has worked to distribute gugak content and make the genre more accessible to the public through broadcasting.
The Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation, established in 2007, has supported the creation and production of traditional performing arts and trained professionals in the field, while working to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy such performances.
By combining the two organizations, the ministry aims to make its policies more efficient and provide comprehensive support for the promotion and spread of gugak and traditional arts.
The ministry expects the merger to create synergy by linking the broadcaster’s ability to promote content through media with the foundation’s expertise in creating and producing performances.
The ministry will form a task force with the two organizations and work closely with them to draw up a phased implementation plan and revise relevant laws. It did not specify when the merger will take effect or what the new organization will be called.
It also plans to continue supporting the merged organization so that it can play a central role in promoting gugak and traditional arts in line with demand from the field.
Gugak covers a wide range of Korean traditional music, from court and ritual music to folk genres such as pansori, a form of musical storytelling performed by a singer accompanied by a drummer.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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