Acting Leaders Again... Prolonged Leadership Vacuums at MCST-Affiliated Institutions

There has been a surge in public institutions and performing arts organizations under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) experiencing a leadership vacuum for over a year. Key institutions such as the National Gugak Center, Korea Creative Content Agency, and Korea Publishing and Culture Industry Promotion Agency have been operating under acting leadership for extended periods, leading to inevitable disruptions in policy decisions, budget execution, and the implementation of mid- to long-term projects. There are growing concerns that political uncertainty and internal personnel bottlenecks within the MCST are converging, escalating into a systemic risk for cultural administration.

As of January 26, according to the MCST and related organizations, the National Gugak Center has been under interim leadership for one year and seven months without the appointment of a new director. The situation is similar at the Seoul Performing Arts Company (one year and six months), Korea Creative Content Agency (one year and four months), Korea Publishing and Culture Industry Promotion Agency (one year and one month), and the National Symphony Orchestra (one year). All these organizations are effectively experiencing a prolonged leadership vacuum due to the absence of a designated successor.

There are also numerous cases where the current head continues to serve in their role even after their term has expired, as a successor has not been selected. Kim Hongjun, Director of the Korean Film Archive, completed his term in February last year but has continued his work due to the lack of a replacement. Similarly, Jeong Seongsuk, CEO of the National Jeongdong Theater, whose term ended in November last year, and Jeong Byungkuk, Chairman of the Arts Council Korea (ARKO), whose term expired on January 9, both remain without successors. In particular, ARKO has not even formed a committee to select the next chairman, making it highly likely that the current system will continue for the time being.

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Analysts say that the personnel bottleneck at the MCST has worsened amid the political turmoil following the impeachment crisis. In the cases of the National Gugak Center and the Korean Film Archive, the appointment process was initiated early last year before the new administration took office, but was halted due to opposition from the traditional music and film sectors. Additionally, the fact that Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was the last cabinet member to be appointed among the new government ministers, and that the MCST oversees the largest number of public institutions among ministries, are cited as reasons for the personnel delays. It is also suggested that Minister Choi’s lack of prior public office experience has contributed to the situation, as he has prioritized familiarizing himself with his work and has maintained a cautious approach to appointments.

An official from one of the affiliated institutions awaiting a new leader commented, "In the absence of an institution head, important internal decisions tend to be postponed," adding, "Major administrative matters that need to be addressed are continuing to pile up." Several other institution heads are also approaching the end of their terms. Choi Sangho, Artistic Director of the National Opera Company, will complete his term on February 12, and Park Ingeon, Director of the National Theater of Korea, will finish his term on March 12. In April, the terms of Kang Sujin, Director of the National Ballet, Yoo Eunseon, Director of the National Changgeuk Company, and Kim Jongdeok, Director of the National Dance Company, will all expire simultaneously. Kim Seongyong, Director of the National Contemporary Dance Company, will serve until May.

However, there are signs that the bottleneck may be easing as some appointments have recently moved forward. Last month, the MCST underwent organizational restructuring, including the establishment of the Cultural Media Industry Office, which oversees content industry promotion, media policy, copyright protection, and international cultural exchange and cooperation policies, previously divided among different departments. This has been seen as a clarification of Minister Choi’s direction for organizational management, leading to expectations that appointments will now proceed sequentially.

In fact, following the restructuring, Park Sunghyuk, former Executive Vice President of Global Business at Cheil Worldwide, was appointed as President of the Korea Tourism Organization, a position that had been vacant for two years. Lim Jintaek, former Chairman of the Gyeonggi Arts Center, was named President of the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service. The Korea Creative Content Agency closed applications for its next president on the 29th of last month and is currently conducting candidate interviews, with an announcement expected as early as this month. The Korean Film Archive and Korea Publishing and Culture Industry Promotion Agency have also recently begun the process of recruiting their next heads, and the National Gugak Center announced its director recruitment at the end of last year.

An MCST official stated, "We must adhere to the appointment procedures and there are many issues to review, so from the outside, it may appear that appointments are being delayed," adding, "We are expediting the selection process, and preparations are underway to appoint successors for the heads of national arts organizations whose terms are about to expire."

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