Kim Jintae Vows to Usher in 'Gangwon Culture and Arts Renaissance'... Announces 10 Billion Won Era for Creative Support

Kim Jintae, candidate for Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, has pledged bold support and investment in the culture and arts sector, heralding the dawn of a "Gangwon Culture and Arts Renaissance" era.

Candidate Jin Tae Kim for Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province visited a creative theater troupe located in Chuncheon City on the 18th to carry out the fifth part of the "Tenacity Relay" series, titled . Provided by Gangwon Province

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On April 18, candidate Kim visited a creative theater troupe located in Chuncheon to conduct the fifth installment of the "Persistence Relay" series, titled . This venue was selected for the 2026 support program for creative activities by artists, and Kim encouraged the troupe members practicing on-site and listened to their concerns directly.

The Kim Jintae administration has focused on laying a stable foundation so that local artists in Gangwon can devote themselves to creative activities without economic hardship. Since the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration, the budget supporting creative activities for culture and arts professionals has grown dramatically. The relevant budget, which stood at 4.3 billion won in 2022, has increased to 9.2 billion won in the 2026 main budget. Once an additional 800 million won is reflected in the supplementary budget, the era of "10 billion won in creative support" will begin.

In addition, Gangwon Province announced in February four key policies focused on strengthening support for artists, revitalizing cultural performances and events, eliminating cultural blind spots, and expanding cultural infrastructure, with a total project investment of 70 billion won planned for 2026.

Notably, this initiative also produced significant administrative achievements. On April 13, the long-awaited project for Chuncheon residents - the establishment of the Chuncheon City Museum of Art - made tangible progress. After the authority to conduct preliminary feasibility assessments for public museums, previously held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was transferred to metropolitan and provincial governments, Gangwon Province held its first independent review, during which the proposal for the Chuncheon City Museum of Art was approved, accelerating the project's progress.

Kim Jintae stated that these achievements would serve as momentum for even bolder expansion of investment in culture and the arts. Kim asserted, "If anyone thinks that Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province is neglecting culture and the arts because we are vigorously pursuing advanced future industries, that is a serious misunderstanding," adding, "Even among the world's leading global cities, advanced cities lacking culture and arts are lifeless."

Jintae Kim, candidate for governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, visited a creative theater troupe located in Chuncheon on the 18th to carry out the fifth installment of the "Persistence Relay" series titled . Provided by Gangwon Province

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He continued, "The potential of Gangwon's unique and rich cultural content is immense," and stressed, "We will provide full support so that local artists no longer face economic hardships or environmental constraints as obstacles to their creative activities."

Kim further declared his strong ambition: "We will create an environment in which every resident of Gangwon can enjoy high-quality culture and the arts in their daily lives, ushering in a true 'Culture and Arts Renaissance' unique to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province."

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