Minister Choi Hwiyoung Holds Performing Arts Roundtable: "Foundational Arts Must Support Sustainable K-Culture"

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that Minister Choi Hwiyoung met with performing artists on the afternoon of September 2 at the Artist's House in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where he listened to their challenges and gathered proposals to promote the creation, performance, and distribution of performing arts.

This roundtable was organized to hear from field artists across the entire performing arts sector-including Korean traditional music, theater, music, opera, and dance. Attendees included Ko Sunwoong, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Theatre; Kim Minji, Research Fellow at Sogang University Future Lab; Kim Yonggeol, Professor at Korea National University of Arts School of Dance; Park Aeri, Professor at Dongguk University Department of Korean Music; Samuel Yoon, Professor at Seoul National University College of Music; Ahn Heecheol, President of the Korea Playwrights Association; Jang Kyungmin, President of the Korea Small Theater Association; Choi Woojung, Professor at Seoul National University College of Music; and Choi Hojong, dancer. They shared a wide range of opinions, including step-by-step support plans for performing arts organizations and artists in each field.

Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is speaking at a meeting with performing artists in the field of performing arts held on the 2nd at the Artist's House in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

Previously, Minister Choi visited theater (on August 3) and musical (on August 9) performance venues over the weekends in August, and collected opinions from heads of cultural and artistic associations and organizations (on September 1). This roundtable was held to devise practical alternatives.

During the meeting, participants called for expanding cultural and arts education-such as drama and dance-within elementary and secondary school curricula, and increasing the budget for cultural and arts instructors. There were also requests for 'outreach performances' utilizing local artists. Additionally, proposals were made to pave the way for the industrialization of classical music based on proper production, and to move up the booking schedule for performance venues to at least one year in advance to facilitate systematic performance planning.

The need for an integrated campus for convergence education at Korea National University of Arts, as well as convergence across various artistic fields centered on production theaters, was emphasized. In addition, the importance of specialized facilities and support systems for each sector-such as a National Music Center, a National Ballet School, and a National Theater dedicated to dance-was highlighted. There were also demands for improvements in the evaluation system, such as the public disclosure of support project review results, and suggestions to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in foundational arts fields such as Korean traditional music.

Minister Choi Hwiyoung promised to reflect the voices of the field in policy, to create practical policies that field artists can truly feel, and to expand support.

Minister Choi stated, "I am constantly considering the government's role in the growth of K-Culture. In particular, for the sustainable development of K-Culture, the creativity and capabilities of foundational arts must be supported. When creative activities and works in the fine arts sector abound, industries such as tourism, content, and media can flourish." He also emphasized, "We will eliminate blind spots in support by field and growth stage, so that young artists-who are responsible for the future of our culture and arts-can fully demonstrate their capabilities and expand globally."

Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is taking a commemorative photo with attendees after concluding a meeting with performing artists in the field of performing arts held at the Artists' House in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd.
Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism