O Tae-geun Chairman "2.1 Billion Won Budget for Year of Theater Proposed to Be Used for Affected Theater Artists"
On the 24th, Oh Tae-geun, Chairman of the Korea Theatre Association, stated at a cafe in Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, that the damage to the theater industry due to COVID-19 is severe and argued that the 2020 Year of Theatre project should be reconsidered. Photo by Korea Theatre Association
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The Korea Theater Association announced a statement on the 24th requesting the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to reconsider the '2020 Year of Theater' and to use the 2.1 billion KRW budget allocated for the Year of Theater to support theater artists affected by the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
On the 24th, Oh Tae-geun, chairman of the Korea Theater Association, held a press conference at a cafe in Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, regarding the spread of COVID-19 and the 2020 Year of Theater, and announced a statement representing the Korea Theater Association board, 16 metropolitan and provincial theater associations, and other professional associations.
Chairman Oh stated that the Year of Theater project, which was initiated at the suggestion of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has not been properly promoted yet, and with the outbreak of COVID-19, it is practically difficult to proceed with the Year of Theater project this year.
Oh said, "The COVID-19 situation is expected to continue until the first half of the year," adding, "Even if the Year of Theater project is fully launched in the second half, it will be difficult to create a proper boom." He continued, "The theater community is suffering significant damage due to COVID-19," and added, "I would like to propose a full reconsideration of the Year of Theater plan this year and to use the related budget to support theater artists who have been affected."
Chairman Oh revealed that when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed the 2020 Year of Theater at the end of last year, he wanted to do well as chairman, but the reality was not easy.
He said, "The Year of Theater project has been shaky from the start," and added, "During the three rounds of discussions, I painfully witnessed the voices of the Korea Theater Association, its 16 branches, each unit association, and the field theater artists being ignored." He further stated, "I doubt whether the Year of Theater Promotion Committee, hastily and impulsively formed at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism-hosted discussions, can truly represent the voices of professional theater artists who quietly protect the field."
In this situation, with the outbreak of COVID-19 adding insult to injury, he argued for reconsidering the Year of Theater promotion plan this year and supporting theater artists affected by the related budget.
According to Kim Kwan, secretary general of the Korea Theater Association, as of the 19th, 40 organizations in four regions nationwide have been confirmed to have suffered damages such as performance cancellations or postponements. Kim explained, "With public institutions in Seoul virtually all closed and national and public theaters in other regions shut down, the number of affected theater companies is expected to increase significantly as of the 23rd."
Chairman Oh stated that during the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, the Korea Theater Association did not adequately represent the positions of theater organizations, and because of that experience, theater artists feel a strong sense of crisis regarding the current COVID-19 situation. He explained that this time, the Korea Theater Association is taking the lead in expressing its position properly and is calculating the amount and scale of damages together with regional and unit associations.
He also advised the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to review whether the compensation policies related to MERS damages in 2015 were properly implemented for the majority of field theater artists.
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