Leading Expansion of Cultural Access for the Underprivileged...43 Culture Nuri Card Contributors Commended

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Arts Council Korea, will hold the "2025 Integrated Culture Voucher (Culture Nuri Card) Project Merit Award Ceremony" at 2:00 p.m. on the 26th at Modu Art Theater in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

This event has been prepared to recognize the hard work of local government officials and staff of regional operating agencies who worked on the ground last year to expand cultural enjoyment opportunities for the underprivileged, and to boost their morale. The ministry will select and commend 43 contributors to the project, after reviewing candidates recommended by local governments based on their performance in discovering people who have not yet benefited from the Culture Nuri Card, improving utilization rates, and enhancing convenience for socially vulnerable groups such as the elderly.

Representative cases include: Hwang Seon-ae, officer at the Nam-gu District Office in Busan, who created an environment in which card users and local residents can participate together and enjoy culture by linking various events such as local festivals with the Culture Nuri Card. Choi Cheon-sim, officer at the Wadong Community Service Center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, helped minimize blind spots in cultural welfare by directly contacting residents who were eligible for benefits but had not received the card due to a lack of information, so that they could receive support. Park Jun-woo, staff member at the Gwangju Cultural Foundation, promoted a variety of services, including outreach events, and greatly expanded the number of places where the card can be used, including affiliated discount merchants, so that local residents can use the Culture Nuri Card more conveniently.

Jeong Hyang-mi, policy chief for Culture and Arts Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "This commendation reflects the gratitude of users toward the officials who have worked hard to ensure that every citizen can smoothly use the Culture Nuri Card," adding, "Now that the cultural sector has grown enough to drive national development, I hope that those working in the field will pay even closer attention so that no citizen is deprived of cultural enjoyment for economic reasons." She continued, "The ministry will continue to do its best to ensure that all citizens can enjoy culture in their daily lives, regardless of their income level, region, or other individual circumstances."