Nine Cultural Ministry Affiliated Agencies Negligent in Donation Management and Supervision

Assemblywoman Kim Yeji: "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Fails to Even Properly Grasp the Current Situation"

Claims have been raised that the management and supervision of donations by institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) are inadequate. According to Kim Ye-ji (People Power Party), a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, on the 22nd, nine out of thirteen cultural and artistic institutions under the MCST that collect donations did not report or disclose the details of donation collection and expenditure. Under current law, the details of donation collection and expenditure must be reported to the competent authority and the usage details must be disclosed. Violations can result in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety or local governments canceling the registration of the collection. Offenders may also face imprisonment of up to three years or fines up to 30 million won. According to Assemblywoman Kim, the Korea Artists Welfare Foundation collected about 120 million won in donations from 2015 to last year but failed to report for five consecutive years. The National Opera Company also collected and spent about 600 million won during the same period but operated in a haphazard manner without separate usage regulations. Assemblywoman Kim urged thorough management and supervision, stating, "Even though social interest in the transparent execution of donations increased after the 'Nanum-ui Jip' incident, the supervisory agency, MCST, had not even properly grasped the current situation."

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