473 Youth Education Members Selected for National Arts Groups... Ministry of Culture Launches Third Cohort

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it held the launch ceremony for the third cohort of the National Arts Group Youth Education Members at the National Gugak Center’s Yeaakdang in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of March 10.

Kim Youngsoo, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, visited the ceremony to encourage the 456 youth education members. The event brought together seven national arts organizations (National Opera Company of Korea, Korean National Ballet, National Chorus of Korea, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, National Theater Company of Korea, and Jeongdong Theater), along with the National Gugak Center, the National Theater of Korea, and the Federation of National Arts Organizations.

Kim Youngsoo, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the integrated kickoff ceremony for the 2026 National Arts Organization Youth Education Members held at the National Gugak Center Yeaakdang in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The National Arts Group Youth Education Member Development Program provides opportunities for arts majors to gain practical experience on the stages of national organizations after graduation and fosters the next generation of performing arts talent through various specialized educational programs. In 2024 and 2025, the program offered participation opportunities to 350 and 542 young artists, respectively. This year, a total of 473 individuals—456 selected through the integrated recruitment and 17 through separate selection—will serve as youth education members.

The integrated recruitment held in January attracted a total of 2,489 applicants, resulting in a competition rate of 4.83 to 1. In particular, the National Theater Company of Korea had the highest competition rate, with 842 applicants vying for 60 positions—a ratio of 14.03 to 1.

This year, the 473 youth education members will receive approximately 30 to 40 hours per month of specialized practical training in fields such as classical music, dance, traditional arts, and theater, as provided by each organization. In addition, they will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of performances staged by the national arts groups throughout the year. In November, the results presentation will showcase works created based on the experiences and skills accumulated over the past year, with presentations in each field.

Vice Minister Kim stated, "This launch ceremony marks a new beginning, where young artists from diverse fields come together to take another step toward their dreams," adding, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the national arts organizations, will do their utmost to support you so that you can gain more experience, nurture your dreams, and continue to grow on even more stages."

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