Culture Minister Yoo In-chon Steps Down After 4 Years and 9 Months of Tireless Service

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon stepped down from his position on July 30, expressing his reflections on having worked tirelessly for approximately four years and nine months over two separate terms as minister.

Appointed as the second Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in October 2023, Minister Yoo held a departure ceremony at the Government Complex Sejong on this day, leaving the ministry after about one year and nine months. He previously served as the inaugural minister of the same ministry under the Lee Myung-bak administration from February 2008 to January 2011.

In his farewell address, Minister Yoo told the ministry staff, "Since my first appointment as Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in February 2008, we have spent about four years and nine months together, truly running without rest until today." He went on to highlight the achievements made during his terms, emphasizing, "By actively visiting the field, I am confident that we have fostered our culture, arts, sports, and tourism."

During his first term, he worked on improving laws and systems for the advancement of copyright and the content industry, and expanded the cultural infrastructure that was lacking in the arts sector by establishing institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, and the National Hangeul Museum. He also stressed that he sowed the seeds of culture for marginalized groups and regions through initiatives like the Culture Voucher, Art Flower Seed School, and Dream Orchestra. He added that efforts were made to foster high-value-added tourism, such as accommodation policies and MICE, to usher in the era of 10 million inbound tourists.

When he returned to the ministry after 12 years, Minister Yoo said he was truly surprised to see that the seeds he had sown during his first term had not been scattered by the wind, but had instead grown vigorously, blossomed, and borne fruit. He noted that not only K-pop, dramas, and films, but also classical music, dance, and literature, had risen to the center of the global stage. He explained that he re-established plans to promote the content industry so that K-content could leap forward once again, and focused on nurturing key sectors such as video, games, comics/webtoons, and animation, while actively supporting overseas expansion.

He also established the foundation for cultural exchange and cooperation with various countries, including Japan, China, Italy, France, and Canada. In the field of copyright, he highlighted efforts such as the announcement of the "K-Content Illegal Distribution Eradication Measures," joint domestic and international investigations, and the apprehension of the operator of "NunuTV," the largest copyright-infringing site in Korea, which contributed to achieving a trade surplus for 12 consecutive years.

Minister Yoo concluded his farewell address by saying, "No matter how difficult and challenging the world becomes, never lose faith that culture can bring joy, comfort, and courage to everyone." He added, "I hope the ministry will continue to grow as one that puts people before policies and values the process over the outcome."