13 Local Governments to Conduct Preliminary Projects for One Year
2.6 Trillion Won Invested in Final Selections by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 29th that it has selected thirteen regions as candidates for approval under the 'Korea Cultural City' development plan. The selected areas are Sejong Special Self-Governing City, Sokcho-si in Gangwon, Suseong-gu in Daegu, Suyeong-gu in Busan, Suncheon-si in Jeollanam-do, Andong-si in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Anseong-si in Gyeonggi-do, Jeonju-si in Jeollabuk-do, Jindo-gun in Jeollanam-do, Jinju-si in Gyeongsangnam-do, Chungju-si in Chungcheongbuk-do, Tongyeong-si in Gyeongsangnam-do, and Hongseong-gun in Chungcheongnam-do.
The respective local governments will carry out preliminary projects for one year. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will conduct a review of the preliminary project performance by the Cultural City Deliberation Committee and make the final designation of the 'Korea Cultural City' by the end of next year. Over three years, a total of 260 billion KRW will be invested, including 130 billion KRW from the national government and 130 billion KRW from local governments, aiming to induce an economic ripple effect of approximately 1 trillion KRW and create 3,000 jobs.
Minister Yoo In-chon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, "The unique culture of a region is the pride that makes residents want to live there and the power that attracts people to the area." He explained, "In this evaluation, we focused on whether the region’s specialized culture can dramatically transform the entire city and whether the wave of change can extend beyond the area to aid the development of other regions." He added, "We plan to meticulously refine the plans and conduct consulting over the next year," emphasizing, "We will present a new model that transforms entire cities through culture in cooperation with local governments."
Andong-si received high marks for utilizing traditional cultural resources such as Confucianism and spiritual culture and for leading cultural balance development in the Gyeongbuk region. Anseong-si promoted itself as 'Anseong Cultural Market' through historical and cultural resources, Jindo-gun specialized in a 'Folk Culture Masterclass' project featuring Jindo Arirang, Jinju-si was recognized for its metropolitan-scale project connecting culture, tourism, and economy in Gyeongnam, and Tongyeong-si’s promotion of the 'Tongyeong 12 Project' was instrumental in its selection.
Sejong City was noted for addressing cultural imbalance and aspiring to become a 'Hangeul Cultural City Connecting the World,' Suseong-gu in Daegu for creating a 'Visual Arts Hub and Craft Ecosystem,' and Suncheon-si for its expected integration of gardens and cultural content. Jeonju-si was recognized for its transformation into a cultural industry production base combining traditional culture and cutting-edge technology, Chungju-si for its specialization in 'Chungju Masterpieces' and its emergence as a glocal central city in the central region. Sokcho-si was praised for expanding cultural enjoyment projects, Suyeong-gu in Busan for aiming to be a cultural enjoyment hub city, and Hongseong-gun for its positive evaluation in promoting an organic cultural city through designation as a regional content special zone.
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