Global cultural leaders gather in Seoul to chart sustainable future for arts

Cultural leaders from around the world are gathering this week in Seoul for the 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture to discuss the global challenges facing the cultural and creative sectors and ways to advance sustainable development.

The summit runs from Wednesday to Friday, with an opening gala Tuesday.

"Digital technologies do not merely offer new tools, but they are fundamentally changing how art is created, distributed and experienced. At the same time, they also present new issues, such as social exclusion through the digital divide, copyright concerns and artificial intelligence (AI) ethics," Byoung Gug Choung, chair of the Arts Council Korea (ARKO), said in a statement.

"As these winds of change sweep across the globe, we find ourselves at a critical moment where we must come together to reflect on how we will navigate them."

Hosted ahead of UNESCO’s cultural policy conference MONDIACULT 2025 in Barcelona slated for September, this year’s World Summit focuses on futureproofing culture through three key themes: knowledge systems and agency; participatory systems and connectedness; and digital systems and technology.

Co-organized by ARKO and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the gathering will emphasize the urgency of addressing systemic inequalities in the digital space, including the widening digital divide and the importance of amplifying marginalized voices through decolonized cultural policies.

The outcomes of the World Summit are expected to influence the global cultural policy agenda as the international arts and culture community prepares for MONDIACULT 2025.

Culture's role in crisis

The first session on Wednesday will feature acclaimed Korean media artist Ayoung Kim, whose work explores themes such as geopolitics, mythology, technology and futuristic narratives. Working with video, sonic fiction, VR, game simulations, diagrams and text, Kim has received international recognition, including the Golden Nica at the 2023 Prix Ars Electronica and the LG Guggenheim Award this year.

Under the theme of "Resistance, Resilience, Response, Renewal," Kim will explore how culture can respond to societal shifts and crises with fellow speaker Michael Running Wolf, an AI researcher from the U.S. Discussions will focus on the need for digital and technological spaces that support diverse narratives and critical engagement — emphasizing culture’s role in fostering collective resilience and change in an increasingly divided world.

The following Plenary 1 session will spotlight producer Chunsoo Shin, best known for producing the Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby," which also recently opened at the London Coliseum in the West End.

Shin has expanded the reach of Korean musicals with productions such as "Jekyll and Hyde," "Man of La Mancha," "Dracula," "Sweeney Todd" and "Dreamgirls." He also produced "Doctor Zhivago" and "Holler If Ya Hear Me" on Broadway.

With the theme of "The Future of Culture in Times of Exponential Shifts," Shin and other speakers — Yarri Kamara, Marcia Helena Goncalves Rollemberg and Alexandra Xanthaki — will examine how culture can be integrated into broader policy frameworks, assess remaining barriers and address core questions about the future of culture: its values, direction and the collective actions needed to secure a cultural goal in the U.N.’s post-2030 sustainable development agenda.

On Wednesday afternoon, a special panel discussion titled “Elastic Futurity in Korean Arts and Culture: A Critical Examination” will use Korea as a case study.

Serang Chung, an award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer, will join other experts — Sang-keun Yoo, Andrés Felipe Solano and Haerin Shin. Chung is the author of "This Much Close," which won the Changbi Novel Award in 2013, and "Everbody Will be Dancing," which earned her the Hankook Ilbo Literary Award in 2017.

This session will explore how cultural creation in Korea is shaped by the interplay of society, technology and governance — with the goal of sparking global conversations on how art can reimagine the future and help build more inclusive and interconnected cultural landscapes.

Korea’s cultural ecosystem

On the second day, the World Summit participants will learn about Korea’s public investment models that successfully ensured sustainable support for the cultural and creative sectors — with Seoul presented as a key example.

Heejin Shim of Virgin Music Group will discuss the rise of K-pop, the industry’s challenges and how emerging technologies like AI are reshaping revenue models in a panel session titled "Creative Crossovers: Lessons for the Wider Creative Economy from the Music Sector." He will also lead discussion on ways to build a more sustainable and inclusive music ecosystem that supports both creators and audiences.

Meanwhile, in the session titled "Decentralising Cultural Governance: Transforming Policy and Practice," Jung Yun Cho from the Busan Cultural Foundation will share how the coastal city of Busan — Korea’s second-largest city — has implemented independent cultural policies tailored to local communities.

Sustainable road map

On the final day, delegates will convene for a closing discussion to develop a road map for a more just, sustainable and inclusive future for arts and culture — one that strengthens the role of the cultural and creative sectors in overcoming global challenges.

The final plenary, themed "Future Horizons: Roadmap for a Just and Sustainable Future," will bring together the summit’s core themes into a forward-looking agenda. Panelists and delegates will explore the role of arts and culture not only as creative expression but as a catalyst for fostering empathy, civic dialogue and social cohesion in an increasingly fragmented world.

This article is a joint project between The Korea Times and the Arts Council Korea. — ED.