'Performance Act Amendment' Recognizing Musicals as an Independent Field Passes Cabinet Meeting

Musical Frankenstein performance site.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the "Amendment to the Performance Act," which recognizes musicals as an independent category under the Performance Act and strengthens safety management in performance venues, passed the Cabinet meeting on the 11th. The Ministry plans to prepare subordinate legislation, including amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the Performance Act, in the first half of the year, conduct legislative notice and consultations with related agencies, and implement the law starting in July.

The musical industry has continuously criticized that musicals have been classified as a subcategory of theater and thus have been marginalized in various support projects. In response, the amendment explicitly includes "musical" as an example of "performance" in the definition of "performance," thereby recognizing musicals as an independent category under the Performance Act.

Furthermore, the amendment newly establishes and strengthens safety obligations for performance venues and lays the institutional foundation for systematic safety management of performance venues. The purpose of the Performance Act now explicitly includes "creating a safe creative environment for performers and performing arts workers," and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism is required to include matters related to safety management of performance venues when formulating the "Basic Plan for the Promotion of Performing Arts."

Additionally, the amendment establishes the right of performers and performing arts workers to work in a safe creative environment and stipulates that performance venue operators and others must strive to guarantee these rights. Not only performance venue operators but also those intending to hold performances of a certain scale outside of performance venues must inform the audience of emergency evacuation procedures. In cases of serious accidents causing casualties or facility damage, performance venue operators must report to the head of the local government, and the local government may request submission of materials if necessary.

Other provisions include establishing the legal basis for designating the "Performance Safety Support Center," a dedicated institution supporting performance safety projects and safety system operations; establishing the legal basis for building and operating a performance venue safety information system; and introducing fines related to safety obligations, thereby creating a more systematic and effective institutional foundation for safety management in performance venues.

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