President Lee Jae-myung visited Changdong Art Village in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on the 15th and met with local artists, promising a fundamental overhaul of how the government supports culture and the arts.
At the meeting, he questioned the effectiveness of the current support system. “Even when policies are carefully designed, the farther they reach into the field the more the support gets dispersed or stalls,” he said. “It’s troubling that government efforts don’t reach artists on the ground.”
He sharply criticized the lack of transparency in grant distribution. “Some programs have become instruments of corruption,” he said, adding, “from my time in local government, I observed that when funds are allocated to creative fields, a few leaders of related organizations end up taking everything in the middle.”
He warned that leaving old practices in place would make government support like pouring water into a leaky bucket and vowed to pursue rigorous reforms.
“South Korea has emerged as a cultural powerhouse, but the grassroots arts sector—the soil that nurtures that success—is so starved for resources it’s in a precarious state,” he said. He urged stakeholders to “work together on a new system that delivers real benefits without compromising art’s originality and freedom.”
First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, who attended the meeting, also offered encouragement to the artists.
“On my overseas trips, I felt the remarkable global standing of K-culture,” she said. “Behind that achievement is the quiet dedication of people across the country who have steadfastly supported it like a network of capillaries.” She urged artists to make direct, unvarnished demands of the president to secure changes they can actually feel.
The visit reflects the president’s emphasis on field-centered administration, and observers will watch whether the government shifts cultural policy beyond simple budget increases toward prioritizing direct support and ensuring transparency.
Reporter Kim Jung-woo enyou@hankyung.com
