[Reporter’s Notebook] K-Arts Relocation Should Be Cultural Policy, Not a Vote Calculation

Relocating a Single School Cannot Create a Cultural City
Moving Without a Complex Ecosystem Is Destined to Fail

The bill to relocate the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) to Gwangju, proposed by 11 lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea, has sparked heated debate. However, there is still little sign of sincere reflection on the essence of arts education and the broader cultural ecosystem.

Can simply relocating an educational institution transform a region into a center for the arts? Anseong, which hosted the Department of Theater and Film of Chung-Ang University, never became a film city. Similarly, even after some of the art and design education functions of Hongik University were established at the Sejong campus, the outcome was no different. In fact, this resulted in the unintended consequence of students who preferred schools in the Seoul metropolitan area shifting their focus toward universities located in Seoul.

The operating principles of creative fields are fundamentally different from those of other industries. Sectors such as steel and machinery rely on large-scale facilities and physical capital. When production facilities are relocated, the associated networks move with them, and know-how can be transferred simply through work manuals. In contrast, the creative domain is built on individual proficiency and human networks. The tacit skills passed on in the field can only be truly acquired through long-term, close collaboration.

For example, staging a single musical production requires practical training facilities, a team of professional coaches, audition intermediaries, critical review platforms, and legal and copyright services. These businesses cannot survive on a single genre alone—they must combine with film, television drama, advertising, and more to remain viable. Currently, Seoul is the only place where such a complex ecosystem operates effectively.

Performing arts education is highly dependent on the surrounding environment. Talents in fields such as vocal music or dance receive systematic training from a young age. Students who show potential build their skills early, learning directly from top-tier artists. The area around the K-Arts Seocho-dong campus, where such education takes place, functions as a music city in its own right. Personal training studios, competition stages, specialty instrument and sheet music stores, large performance halls, and educational institutions are all densely interconnected.

Politicians justify the move of K-Arts with the slogan of "preventing the decline of non-metropolitan areas." In reality, achieving tangible results would require a comprehensive package, including the establishment of branches of public performing arts organizations in Gwangju, incentives for private production companies to relocate, and the construction of large-scale performance infrastructure.

Some also cite the example of KAIST’s relocation to Daejeon. However, while research in science and engineering can yield academic publications through collaborations among a handful of experts, artists must stand before an audience to complete their work. In the performing arts, the stage is both a classroom and an opportunity for evaluation—it is the ultimate goal. Relocating fields with a limited audience, such as traditional music, to non-metropolitan areas could further reduce accessibility for consumers.

The real issue is not where K-Arts should be relocated. The first question should be whether there is the will and resources to create a cultural industry cluster outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The focus needs to be on how to rebuild the social capital, networks, and cultural foundation that have been accumulated over decades—not just on moving a school building. Proposing to relocate the school without such a plan is less a matter of cultural policy and more of a calculation aimed at winning local votes.

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