Experts in the cultural and arts sector are discussing the direction of cultural and arts policy. The Cultural Power Network (Chairman Lee Woo-jong) will hold the "2nd Cultural Power National Assembly Discussion" on the 7th at 10 AM in the 2nd seminar room of the National Assembly Hall, where they will talk about the philosophy and sustainability of cultural policy in the Republic of Korea.
This discussion is jointly hosted by Congressman Kang Yoo-jeong (Democratic Party's Special Committee on Culture and Arts) along with Kim Yoon-deok, Min Hyung-bae, Park Soo-hyun, Yang Moon-seok, Lee Gi-heon, Lim O-kyung, Jeon Jae-soo, and Jo Gye-won.
The forum aims to explore a philosophical and practical direction for cultural and arts policy that transcends mere administration or industrial development, allowing creators, citizens, and local and central government to coexist.
Professor Choi Joon-ho of the Korea National University of Arts will serve as the moderator for the discussion. He is a scholar who has linked theory and policy in the field of cultural and arts. He will lead the presentation and discussion at this forum.
Congressman Kang Yoo-jeong will deliver the keynote speech. He will convey the stance that "cultural policy should be approached not as a political tool but as an issue of citizens' lives and rights." He is expected to emphasize the need to reconstruct policies using the languages of relationships, senses, art, and life.
The presentations will feature Professor Kim Hyun-hwan from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Lee Won-jae, a concurrent professor at Kyung Hee Cyber University and executive committee member of the Cultural Solidarity. Professor Kim will outline the philosophical basis for cultural policy design and present the fundamental structure and direction of the policy.
Professor Lee will lead the discussion on “The Sustainability of Cultural Policy.” He will argue that cultural policy should shift away from a short-term focus to a life-oriented approach, along with practical challenges that arise from this perspective.
In the following discussions, three experts will reflect on the field of policy. The first discussant will be Bang Sung-il, a music director known for his work on the soundtracks of dramas like "My Mister" and "Something in the Rain." He will convey the necessity of protecting rights and improving the structure of unfair contracts from the perspective of the field.
The second discussant will be Ko Dong-hyun, a researcher at the Yonsei University Social Development Research Institute. He will diagnose the structural problems of a centralized cultural policy and propose data-driven, region-specific policy design and ways to achieve cultural decentralization.
The final discussant will be So Hong-sam, the former head of the Uijeongbu Cultural Foundation. He plans to emphasize the need for cultural institutions to become entities capable of independent planning and operation, going beyond mere business execution, as well as the need for institutional improvements and budget restructuring to facilitate this.
Lee Woo-jong, chairman of the Cultural Power Network, stated, "Now that cultural policy is at a turning point, whether the Republic of Korea remains a country of cultural stagnation or progresses to become a cultural powerhouse depends on how well we are prepared." He added, "I hope this forum will serve as an opportunity to specify the philosophy and execution strategies of cultural policy," and "We all bear the responsibility to respond to the ‘light sticks’ created by citizens with cultural and arts."
<Photo provided by Cultural Power Network>
