[2022 National Audit] "Hangul Day Celebration Should Be Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism"

Assemblyman Sangheon Lee Criticizes Ministry of Interior's Hangul Day Celebration
"Forced Outdoor Event Despite Rain, Content Also Meager"
Hangul Museum's '2022 Hangul Week' Presented as Example

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There has been a claim that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, criticized for poorly conducting the Hangul Day celebration, should follow the example of the National Hangeul Museum.

On the 21st, Lee Sang-heon, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party, publicly compared the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Hangul Day celebration with the National Hangeul Museum's '2022 Hangeul Week' materials. According to this, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety proceeded with an outdoor event despite rain. Although there was a rain forecast the day before and plans to change the event to indoors, these were not implemented. Lee pointed out, "Forcing the outdoor event was problematic, but there was no distinctive feature unique to the national holiday celebration."

As an example, Lee presented the '2022 Hangeul Week' operated by the National Hangeul Museum, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the National Institute of the Korean Language. The event consisted of thirty-seven programs including performances, exhibitions, competitions, and academic conferences. The budget spent over one week was 165 million KRW, which was 24 million KRW less than the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 30-minute celebration (189 million KRW). Lee emphasized, "The celebration that cost more was rather shabby," and urged, "The Hangeul Museum and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should discuss transferring the celebration duties together with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety."

The grounds are sufficient. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's organizational regulations still stipulate that the Ministry is responsible for Hangul Day events. The current 'Act on National Holidays' only defines the types of national holidays and does not specify which ministry oversees the events.

Lee explained, "If inter-ministerial consultations are possible, transferring the celebration duties seems feasible without legal amendments," adding, "The Constitution Day celebration is already organized by the National Assembly Secretariat, not the Ministry of the Interior and Safety." He continued, "Until 2006, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was solely responsible for Hangul Day events. If the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is going to neglect Hangul as it did this time, it is better for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which has expertise, to take charge."

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