[2022 National Audit] "Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Efforts to Bridge Cultural Gaps Are Insufficient"

Half of Cultural and Artistic Activities Take Place in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
'Motae Fund Culture Account' Constitutes 89%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's efforts to bridge the cultural gap have been revealed to be mere slogans.

According to the '2021 National Cultural Infrastructure Directory' released on the 5th by Lee Gae-ho, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee (Democratic Party), out of 3,087 cultural infrastructure facilities nationwide, 1,118 (36.2%) are located in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The stark disparity is also confirmed in the '2021 Arts Yearbook' published by the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service. Of the 15,468 cultural and artistic activities in the visual and performing arts fields, half, 7,730, took place in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Rep. Lee explained, "When looking at the number of cultural and artistic activities per 100,000 people, Seoul ranks highest with 57.3 activities. This is 1.92 times the overall average of 29.8 activities," adding, "The gap between regions is severe."

Accessibility to cultural facilities is also not free from polarization. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's '2020 National Land Monitoring Report,' cultural performance facilities in Seoul were located within 2.08 km. In contrast, Jeonnam was 10.21 km away, and Gangwon was 13.32 km away.

The problem lies in the fact that efforts to reduce the cultural gap are minimal. Since 2006, the government has operated the 'Mother Fund Cultural Account' to invest in the cultural industry sector. Over 1 trillion won has been invested so far, with 89% of the investment concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The 'Cultural Vitality Promotion Project,' which supports culturally vulnerable areas, has also failed to produce substantial effects. This year, only six locations were supported, with an average support amount of 750 million won. Moreover, this came with the condition of a 50% local government cost-sharing burden.

Rep. Lee stated, "Improving the cultural and artistic environment to enhance the quality of life for local residents is of utmost importance," and added, "Related policies need to be reconsidered under the recognition that they are not merely about regional consideration but about preventing regional extinction."

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