Yoon In-chon: "Will Completely Change Art Policy... Blacklist Issue Needs to Be Reexamined"

'First Commute by Bicycle' Yoo In-chon, Nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism

On the morning of the 14th, Yoo In-chon, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, rode a bicycle to the confirmation hearing preparation office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and expressed his determination, saying, "I will completely change the support policies for the cultural and artistic sectors."

On the 14th, Yoo In-chon, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is commuting by bicycle to the minister nominee office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

At a meeting with reporters, Yoo said, "The environment surrounding us has changed tremendously, and I think it means that the cultural welfare for the people and the support policies for artists should all be newly refined to fit this government."

When asked about the reason for his nomination, he replied, "Although there have been many changes in cultural policy support and balanced regional cultural development, there has not been a significant change until now," adding, "The responsibility is heavy. Even though I worked 15 years ago, I feel a much heavier sense of responsibility than before." Yoo previously served as the first Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the Lee Myung-bak administration from February 2008 for about three years.

Afterward, Yoo sparked controversy by swearing at reporters during his first National Assembly audit after his inauguration in 2008, and suspicions arose regarding his involvement in the so-called 'cultural and artistic blacklist' incident, which involved the suppression of cultural and artistic figures critical of the government.

When asked about these allegations on the day, Yoo avoided a direct answer, saying, "Of course, there was some confrontational relationship when I was there, but it was not to that extent," and "I don’t know because I haven’t looked into it in detail."

On the 14th, Yoo In-chon, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, answered reporters' questions while riding a bicycle to his office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

However, he added, "If I am appointed, I will look into such issues carefully," and said, "Constant confrontation is unfortunate for the future of our Republic of Korea, and I think the officials at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism or the staff who worked at support institutions might have some trauma when I look from the outside."

Regarding criticism raised in a recent interview with the Chosun Ilbo that the state could disadvantage works with political opposition tendencies, Yoo emphasized, "Our (art) support policies have continued almost the same as they have been for decades," and "We need to do it anew, and I intend to completely change and revise it within the given time." He added, "You don’t need to worry much about such issues."

Yoo became controversial for remarks made in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo last month during his time as the President’s cultural and sports special advisor, such as "Why should the government fund films that claim to be independent from capital and power?" and "Does it make sense to produce works against national interests with state money?"

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