[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Kim Bo-hyun, a preliminary candidate for the mayor of Seo-gu, Gwangju, and former spokesperson for the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development under President Moon Jae-in, announced a cultural and artistic policy called "Connecting Cultural and Artistic People" on the 17th.
Seo-gu determined that despite being the center of Gwangju, the Asian cultural hub city, cultural and artistic projects have lost their concept due to being operated in a disorganized manner.
Seo-gu has the Social Value Support Center for Connection, the Village Community Comprehensive Support Center, Seo-gu Volunteer Center, Seo-gu Goods Sharing Center, Bitgoeul Gugak Transmission Center, and Lifelong Learning Center.
Candidate Kim proposed that cultural and artistic policies require proactive public interest, suggesting ▲ development of cultural and artistic content, activation of a TF team for reorganizing Seo-gu's directly managed centers ▲ creation of an art market to support distribution and sales of creative works ▲ support for cultural artists' enrollment in employment insurance.
In particular, through expanding investment in people such as career-interrupted artists and young artists, the plan is to nurture cultural artists and operate a Gwangju Seo-gu type artist registration system to broaden support.
By creating an art market, the practice of purchasing creative works such as artworks at prices far below their value will be improved, and unfair practices will be reduced through the expansion of standard contracts. In Canada, the minimum wage system for the art sector is regularly updated, and in the UK, the performance sector presents standard rates for performing arts professionals through SOLT (Society of London Theatre).
Additionally, support will be provided to enable cultural artists to enroll in employment insurance.
Candidate Kim said, "For Gwangju to become an Asian cultural hub city, the creative content of cultural artists must come first," adding, "There was hardware, but no consideration for software."
He emphasized, "We will break away from administrative practices regarding culture and arts and form a TF team composed of experts," and "We will make every street in Seo-gu a street where culture breathes, like the streets of Rome."
Meanwhile, Kim, regarded as a policy expert in the local political scene, served as the spokesperson for the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development until just before his candidacy.
In his youth, he worked in civil society and civic groups, and has served as secretary general of the Gwangyang City Office, a National Assembly aide, a two-term Gwangju Metropolitan Council member, and vice chairman of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee.
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