Gangdong-gu Appoints Professor Kwon Jaehyun of Chung-Ang University as 'Chief Cultural and Arts Planner'

Systematic Support for Regional Culture and Arts Policies through Expert Consultation in Culture and Arts

Appointment Ceremony for the Chief Cultural and Arts Planner. On the 15th, Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu (right), appointed Professor Kwon Jae-hyun of the Graduate School of Arts at Chung-Ang University as the Chief Cultural and Arts Planner.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) is appointing the first-ever cultural and arts general planner in Seoul and operating a private expert advisory system to emerge as a prestigious cultural and arts city hub.

The cultural and arts general planner is responsible for discovering and specializing in Gangdong-gu’s unique regional cultural and artistic resources, creating a Gangdong-style cultural and arts brand, and overseeing and advising to realize Gangdong-gu as a cultural and arts city.

Until now, various major events, festivals, and cultural and artistic projects were promoted individually, but the cultural and arts general planner, as a private expert, will systematically support cultural and arts policies from a comprehensive perspective.

To this end, on February 15, the district appointed Professor Kwon Jae-hyun (54) of the Graduate School of Arts at Chung-Ang University as the cultural and arts general planner for a one-year term. Professor Kwon holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Chung-Ang University and has over ten years of extensive field experience as a general director and producer of various events and performances, in addition to his academic career.

Gangdong-gu launched the Gangdong Cultural Foundation in January last year to further accelerate the development of the local cultural and arts community; however, the cultural and arts sector faced significant difficulties due to the unexpected variable of COVID-19, which intensified from February last year.

In response, the district provided a total of 73 million KRW in emergency living expenses to local artists, made the first attempt at a non-face-to-face online Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival, and held various cultural and arts events such as the Gangdong Bridge of Light Festival, outdoor sculpture exhibitions, and busking. These efforts were well received for presenting new alternatives and revitalizing the cultural and arts sector, which had been stagnated by COVID-19.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “By operating the cultural and arts general planner advisory system, we will systematically support the changing cultural and arts policies of Gangdong-gu, which is approaching a population of 550,000,” and added, “We will strive to create a new Gangdong-style cultural city model as a prestigious cultural and arts city.”

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