Assemblyman Lee Byung-hoon Leads Bill to Extend ACC National Operation for 5 More Years

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Representative Lee Byung-hoon (Democratic Party of Korea·Gwangju Dong-gu Nam-gu Eul) announced on the 9th that he has proposed the "Partial Amendment Act on the Special Act on the Creation of the Asia Culture Centered City (hereinafter referred to as the Asia Special Act)," which includes the extension plan for the consigned operation of the National Asia Culture Center (ACC), as his first bill.

The National Asia Culture Center, which opened on November 25, 2015, has not yet reached five years of operation, but according to current law, the entire operation must be consigned to the Asia Culture Institute, a special corporation.

The current law stipulates consignment of the operation of the Asia Culture Center until April 13, 2020, and thereafter, the government is to consign the entire operation of the Culture Center to the Asia Culture Institute after performance evaluation of the Culture Center.

However, there have been demands from the local community that the Culture Center should be operated as a national institution for the time being until its operation is on track, and criticisms that the consignment of the entire operation of the Culture Center should be reconsidered for the stable completion of the Democratic Peace Exchange Institute restoration project promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Representative Lee said, "It is premature to consign the operation of the National Asia Culture Center to the Asia Culture Institute," and emphasized, "The amendment to the Asia Special Act, which includes a five-year extension of the current operating system to guarantee the public nature of the Culture Center's operation and secure stable finances, needs to be prioritized in the 21st National Assembly."

He added, "The situation where the Culture Center has not been operating normally, such as the director acting as a proxy since its opening, must also be corrected," and stated, "We will lay the groundwork so that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism can promptly proceed with the recruitment of the director."

Meanwhile, Representative Lee Byung-hoon is recognized as a key figure who led the birth of the current National Asia Culture Center, having served as the head of the Asia Culture Centered City Promotion Team at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism from 2007 to 2011.

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