Accelerating the Creation of a Citizen Humanities City
with the Spirit of "Yui" (Confucian Doctor)
Yeongju City announced on May 28 that it has been selected as a final recipient of the "2025 Humanities City Support Project," organized by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
This project, jointly proposed by Yeongju City and Daegu Haany University, is themed "Yeongju, a City of Confucian Scholars and Medical Humanities, Practicing Noblesse Oblige." Its goal is to establish a city identity rooted in the humanities and to create a humanities-oriented city where citizens actively participate.
The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding in February with eight local partner organizations, including the Yeongju Cultural Tourism Foundation, and began preparing their proposal, ensuring thorough preparation ahead of the competition. In particular, the project was highly evaluated for setting the concept of "Yui" (Confucian medical practitioner)?which combines the region's unique Confucian scholar culture with Daegu Haany University's expertise in Korean medicine?as its core value, and for concretely developing this concept into a humanities city model, which led to its final selection.
The project will run for three years, from June 2025 to May 2028, with a total budget of 450 million won (420 million won from the national government and 30 million won from the city). Yeongju City will serve as the supporting institution, while Daegu Haany University will participate as a co-implementing institution.
Main programs include: ▲ development of a Yeongju-style humanities city brand reflecting the "Yui" concept; ▲ operation of "Confucian Doctor Yui," a series of humanities lectures touring the region and focusing on the integration of Confucian spirit and benevolent medical practice; ▲ customized humanities experience programs for youth, the elderly, and immigrants; and ▲ hosting the citizen-participatory "Exciting Yui Festival" in connection with the Korea Confucian Scholars Culture Festival.
Kim Young, head of the Humanities City Support Project Group at Daegu Haany University, stated, "Through this new humanities experiment that fuses Confucian spirit and Korean medicine, we aim to enhance the quality of life in the region and develop it into a K-humanities model that can expand globally."
Kim Hojung, head of the Confucian Talent Development Division at Yeongju City, said, "This selection marks a turning point for Yeongju, as we reinterpret our traditional cultural assets in a modern context and transform into a practical humanities city. We will work to ensure that local universities and citizens realize the spirit of Yui in their daily lives together."
The Humanities City Support Project is a flagship humanities promotion initiative by the Ministry of Education, implemented annually since 2009. Recipients are selected through a competitive process open to universities and local governments nationwide. Yeongju City's selection is being highlighted as a model case for regional cultural development based on the humanities.
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