Conflicting Plans for Seogye-dong Complex Cultural Facility... Theater Community Firmly Opposes on National Theater Site

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The theater community has expressed opposition to the government's plan to develop a complex cultural facility with private capital on the site of the National Theater Company of Korea in Seogye-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The Korean Theater Association issued a statement on the 16th under the name of the "Emergency Countermeasures Committee for All Theater People," declaring, "We firmly oppose the project to attract private capital and create a complex cultural space without sufficient discussion with artists and experts."

The Seogye-dong complex cultural facility project centers on constructing a complex cultural facility on the 7,905㎡ site currently used by the National Theater Company of Korea in Seogye-dong. It is planned as a 15-story above ground and 4-story underground building with a large theater (1,200 seats), a medium theater (500 seats), and three small theaters (300 seats, 200 seats, 100 seats) under a Build-Transfer-Lease (BTL) model.

The total project cost is 124.4 billion KRW, with construction scheduled to start in July 2023 and completion targeted for the end of December 2026. Procedures such as selecting the project operator are currently underway.

The government intends to use the complex cultural space to showcase not only theater but also musicals, dance, and various other performing arts. This is why the theater community is opposing the project, fearing a reduction in their presence.

The theater community is also criticizing the Build-Transfer-Lease (BTL) model. They argue that building the facility entirely with private capital and then leasing it to the government for 20 years focuses on profitability, which could diminish the theater's role as a public good and undermine the public nature of the arts.

The Korean Theater Association stated, "The Seogye-dong site has been the foundation that the National Theater Company of Korea has cultivated from scratch since 2010," adding, "Multiplex theaters are merely symbols of regression, and culture does not arise where profit and loss are discussed first, nor does art stay there."

The Korean Theater Association's Emergency Committee has demanded a response from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism by the 21st and declared, "We will continue to fight until a satisfactory alternative for the theater community is presented."

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