Yangju Cultural and Arts Community Unites in Calling for the Establishment of the Yangju Cultural Tourism Foundation

Yangju's Cultural and Arts Community Calls for Renewed Push
to Establish Yangju Cultural Tourism Foundation After Ordinance Rejection
City: "The Foundation's Establishment Cannot Be Delayed"...
Aiming to Resubmit Ordinance in December

Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province held a "Cultural and Arts Sector Meeting for the Establishment of the Yangju Cultural Tourism Foundation" on the 10th at the Yangju City Comprehensive Tourism Information Center training room.

Yangju City held a "Cultural and Arts Community Meeting for the Establishment of the Yangju Cultural Tourism Foundation" on the 10th at the Yangju City Comprehensive Tourism Information Center Training Room. Provided by Yangju City

This meeting was organized to urge the swift establishment of the foundation, following the rejection of the "Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of the Yangju Cultural Tourism Foundation" at the Yangju City Council plenary session in October. More than 30 participants, including representatives from relevant local institutions and organizations, cultural artists, and activists, gathered for this purpose.

During the meeting, participants first shared the current status of efforts to establish the Yangju Cultural Tourism Foundation, highlighting that the process, which had been in preparation for the past four years, has been halted due to the ordinance's rejection.

A city official explained, "If the foundation's establishment is delayed for an extended period, not only will there be administrative and financial waste, but it will also become difficult to participate in public project competitions and secure external funding, which could significantly hinder local cultural development." The official also pointed out that, despite Yangju being a city with a population of 300,000, the absence of a dedicated professional organization for culture and tourism poses limitations in building a unique city brand for Yangju.

During a free discussion led by Kim Dowoong, Director of Economic, Cultural, and Sports Affairs, figures from the cultural and arts sector unanimously stated that "establishing the foundation is an essential task that can no longer be postponed." Seo Sunoh, President of the Yangju Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations, and other branch leaders emphasized the importance of actively conveying the sector's opinions to the city council and gathering citizens' support through both online and offline signature campaigns.

In response, a city official stated, "We plan to resubmit the ordinance bill at the regular session in December with the goal of passing it, but due to the budget scheduling, the foundation's launch will be delayed by at least six months." The official added, "We will do our utmost to ensure that the foundation's establishment proceeds without setbacks."

Participants also agreed that "more than half of local governments nationwide have already established and are operating cultural or cultural tourism foundations, and 24 out of 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province have already done so. Therefore, the establishment of the foundation is an urgent task of our time that cannot be delayed any longer."

Currently, the share of the culture and tourism sector in Yangju City's total budget is less than 3%, and the size of the culture and arts budget ranks 28th among cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province.

A city official projected, "It is difficult to secure competitiveness in culture and tourism with only the city's finances. If the foundation is established, we will be able to secure professional personnel and participate in national and provincial public projects, which will not only expand the local culture and tourism base but also enable us to proactively respond to changes in government policy."

The meeting concluded with participants expressing their strong commitment to actively supporting the establishment of the Yangju Cultural Tourism Foundation. They also announced their intention to rally local public opinion through the release of a statement and a signature campaign in the future.

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