Minister Choi Hwiyoung Says, "Expansion of Culture Day... Discount Benefits Should Be Decided by Industry"

"Culture Day discounts are not something the government can force"
"Establishing the arm's-length principle and film industry measures among six-month achievements"
Consensus on expanding cultural budgets... accelerating tourism and K-culture policies
Gratitude for BTS's Gwanghwamun comeback and a pledge to resolve personnel backlog

Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated that the expanded discount benefits under the "Culture Day" program, which will be broadened starting in April, are a matter to be decided by the relevant industries.

On the 12th, at a press conference marking the six-month anniversary of his inauguration held at Modu Arts Theater in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Minister Choi said there were misunderstandings regarding the expansion of Culture Day and made these remarks.

Starting Wednesday, April 1, the government plans to designate every Wednesday as "Culture Day" and provide a variety of cultural benefits in cooperation with private companies and public organizations. This effectively expands the program from the current schedule of the last Wednesday of every month. In connection with this, some had predicted that benefits such as movie ticket discounts would also be offered every Wednesday, and there were complaints from the film industry, which would be expected to provide such benefits.

Choi Hwiyeong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is answering reporters' questions at a press briefing for accredited reporters held on the 12th at Modu Arts Theater in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Minister Choi said, "It is a misunderstanding to think that the discount benefits that were available on the last Wednesday of every month will remain exactly the same," adding, "The provision of discount benefits is not something the government can force; it is an issue that the relevant industries must decide on their own judgment." He added, "If Culture Day changes to every Wednesday, its content and format will inevitably change as well," and "We must now think about how to make richer use of Culture Day."

Looking back on the past six months, Minister Choi stressed that what stands out most for him is having clearly established the arm’s-length principle that blocks unjust interference by state power and guarantees the independence and autonomy of the arts. He then cited as achievements: the APEC Gyeongju Declaration, through which the government officially declared both domestically and internationally that the cultural and creative industries are a new growth engine for the Korean economy; the preparation of emergency measures to revive the film industry in crisis; the creation, through legal revisions, of a basis to crack down on ticket scalping and the illegal distribution of content; and the establishment of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee to promote the global spread of K-culture. In addition, he said that, along with the expanded implementation of Culture Day, the target year for achieving 30 million inbound tourists has been moved up to 2028, and that the government has decided to upgrade the National Tourism Strategy Meeting from a body under the Prime Minister to one under the President. He also emphasized that the government will expand support for original productions such as plays and musicals, significantly increase regional tours of popular performances and exhibitions, and, above all, do its utmost to expand cultural budgets, which form the basis of all these policies.

Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is responding to reporters' questions at a press briefing held on the 12th at Modu Arts Theater in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Regarding the expansion of cultural budgets, Minister Choi emphasized that a broad consensus has already been formed within the government. "The idea that cultural budgets must be expanded far beyond current levels is not a position held only by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The President has strongly supported it, and the Prime Minister has also spoken about it. As culture and the arts are increasingly recognized as a future growth industry, and as their significance as a driving force for the growth of our national economy is growing, there is a consensus that budget allocations for the K-culture and cultural-arts industries must be much larger than they are now."

Minister Choi also expressed expectations regarding the comeback performance of BTS in connection with the spread of K-culture. BTS is scheduled to hold a free comeback performance next month at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Minister Choi said, "It is very meaningful and something we are grateful for that BTS is making a new start at Gwanghwamun, the most symbolic space in our country." He added, "We see this as an opportunity to showcase the essence of our country, including traditional culture, to the world, and in consultation with BTS’s side, we will prepare so that the performance can take place safely and spectacularly."

Regarding the personnel backlog issue that has been continuously pointed out since his inauguration, he said that now that six months have passed, he will move quickly to resolve it. Minister Choi said, "In terms of personnel matters, understanding the work had to come first," adding, "It took some time to clearly determine who would be suitable." He continued, "We are no longer in a situation where we can say that we still do not have a grasp of things," and added, "Personnel procedures are under way on all fronts, and it will just be a matter of waiting a little longer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.