Ministry of Culture National Art Performances Deepen 'Honam Exclusion'

85.5% of Performances Held in Seoul: Regional Imbalance Under Scrutiny
Min Hyungbae: "Active Support for Relocating Seoul Performing Arts Company to Gwangju"

Min Hyungbae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Concerns have been raised over the severe regional imbalance in access to culture, as performances by eight national art organizations under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism are heavily concentrated in specific areas. In particular, in the Honam region, performances account for less than 2% of the total, increasing the sense of cultural alienation among local residents.

According to the National Assembly audit data on "Performance Records of National Art Organizations Over the Past Five Years" submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to Min Hyungbae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Gwangsan-eul), as of October 2, 2025, only 106 out of a total of 5,443 performances (1.9%) held across 17 cities and provinces nationwide took place in the Honam region. By area, Gwangju hosted 41 performances (0.8%), North Jeolla Province 34 (0.6%), and South Jeolla Province 31 (0.6%).

In contrast, as of August this year, performances in the Seoul area accounted for a staggering 85.5% of the total. Gyeonggi Province followed with 3.6%, Daegu with 1.6%, Gangwon Province with 1.5%, and North Gyeongsang Province with 1.1%. Incheon recorded only 0.1%, the lowest proportion nationwide, with a gap between Seoul and Incheon reaching as much as 700 times.

The concentration of performances in Seoul by each institution was also evident. The National Jeongdong Theater of Korea held 274 out of 289 performances in Seoul, with a remarkable 95% concentrated in the metropolitan area. Most organizations held more than 70% of their performances in Seoul, including the National Theater Company of Korea (88.4%), the National Symphony Orchestra (81.3%), and the Korean National Ballet (79.2%), while the Korea National Opera had a relatively lower concentration in Seoul at 44.0%.

Min Hyungbae stated, "Culture is not a choice but a basic right for a dignified life," emphasizing, "National art organizations must take the lead to ensure that all citizens enjoy benefits equally, without being skewed toward certain regions." He added, "To support the relocation of the Seoul Performing Arts Company to Gwangju, as announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism earlier this year, I will actively support this initiative at the National Assembly level."

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