National orchestra members investigated for violating ban on side work

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra performs during SAC Classic Festival at Seoul Arts Center on July 28. Courtesy of SAC

By Park Ji-won

Some members of state-run art orchestras are being investigated by their employers for violating a ban on “outside work,” after their alleged private tutoring came to light because they were in contact with students who tested positive for COVID-19.

The National Gugak Center (NGC) said one of its Court Music Orchestra members gave a private lesson to a student at the Gugak National High School, Aug. 16, who later tested positive for the coronavirus. The NGC member, however, tested negative Aug. 20.

Since Aug. 17, members of the NGC have been staying at home after the government raised its social distancing measures to Level 2 following a spike in infections.

The NGC member reportedly denied teaching the student, claiming he met the student to give some free advice and it is was not a paid-for private lesson.

But the musician is still being investigated by the NGC.

Once the orchestra member ends a 14-day self-isolation period, Sept. 3, the NGC said it plans to decide on whether to impose punitive measures based on the investigation results, according to officials.

The news comes after a member of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra was confirmed positive for COVID-19, Aug. 16, after giving private lessons to a student at the Seoul Arts High School who became infected due to a link to the Sarang Jeil Church. After the confirmation, the orchestra canceled some performances. An official of the company said it will decide on how to proceed once the musician has recovered and returns to work. It is expected that the SPO administration will impose punitive measures as employees who wish to teach private lessons require permission from the head of the organization.

Full-time members of state-run orchestras are not allowed to work for other orchestra as they are de facto civil servants. To this end, most organizations prohibit outside work while allowing members to participate in other orchestras' one-off performances and to give lectures at universities a limited number of times per month with the approval of the head of the orchestra.

Teaching private lessons to students who want to enter art universities has long been conducted out of sight by the members of state-funded orchestras, according to insiders, and it is hard for the orchestras to monitor these activities. Some musicians even make more money from giving private tuition than they receive as salary from the orchestras.

“The NGC is known as a kingdom of private lessons,” said a person familiar with the matter said. “It is like a factory to foster students who want to enter universities or the NGC. I know a person who has up to 30 students to teach. Some even say their main job is to teach students, not the job at the NGC. It is lucrative because they are paid in cash and it is not documented. The longer a person works for the NGC, the more students they can attract because many expect them to help a student enter an arts university or an orchestra with their knowledge and networks.”

In March, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted an inspection of members' activities outside of their orchestras and artistic troupes, after some members of the Korean National Ballet were found to be conducting lectures at a private ballet academy without permission during a designated period of staying at home due to the coronavirus. But so far no action has been taken against any orchestra or artistic troupe and their members.