Culture ministry unveils plan to spread arts funding beyond Seoul

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism unveiled its third five-year plan for regional culture, aiming to move arts resources beyond Seoul and into the rest of the country. The 2026-2030 plan aligns with the government’s five hubs, three special zones strategy and includes four strategies and 16 tasks. It also seeks to expand Culture Day, Youth Culture Pass and cultural infrastructure outside the capital. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said the goal is to help regions build their own cultural strength.

The ministry said it drafted the plan after policy research, regional debates and input from all 16 provincial-level governments.

Local governments would be required to draft cultural rights guarantee plans, funded through multiyear agreements with the central and provincial governments.

The plan includes building a database to place artists, instructors and cultural planners in local jobs and converting unused sites into cultural venues.

A separate RE:CORE project will pair cultural programs with startup support to revitalize aging old town centers in cooperation with the land and small business ministries.

The ministry plans briefings in October for provincial and municipal officials and cultural foundations.

Published Sep 15, 2026 11:10 am KST

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism unveiled its third five-year plan for developing regional culture, aiming to shift resources away from the Seoul metropolitan area and toward the rest of the country.

The 2026-2030 plan builds on two earlier phases and is designed to fit the government's "five hubs, three special zones" strategy, a national development framework that groups Korea into five economic megaregions and three special administrative zones to spread growth beyond the capital area.

Under the slogan "everyday life with culture, regions people want to stay," the plan lays out four strategies and 16 tasks. They include requiring local governments to draft "cultural rights guarantee plans" ― pledges to ensure residents' access to cultural life ― that would be funded jointly through multiyear agreements with the central and provincial governments.

Other measures include building a database to certify and place artists, instructors and cultural planners in local jobs; converting idled factories and other unused sites into cultural venues; and expanding a weekly "Culture Day" program. The ministry also plans to build multipurpose dome stadiums so regions outside Seoul can host concerts and sports events year-round, and to relocate or build new national museums, art galleries and libraries outside the capital.

A separate initiative, called the "RE:CORE" project, will pair cultural programs with startup support to revitalize aging old town centers, in cooperation with the land and small business ministries. The plan also calls for using artificial intelligence in museum archives and library education, and for expanding the "Youth Culture Pass" subsidy program in 2027 to cover more applicants and activities.

The ministry plans to hold briefings in October for provincial and municipal officials and cultural foundations to explain the plan.

"People stay in a region not just for jobs and housing, but for the culture they can enjoy there," Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said in a statement.

"We will guarantee that everyone can enjoy culture without discrimination, regardless of where they live, and support regions in building the strength to create and grow their own culture."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

韩国文化体育观光部公布了第三个五年区域文化发展规划，旨在将艺术资源从首尔拓展到韩国其他地区。这项2026-2030年的规划与政府提出的“五大文化中心、三大文化特区”战略相契合，包含四项战略和十六项任务。规划还力求将“文化日”、“青年文化通行证”以及文化基础设施的建设范围扩大到首都以外的地区。文化部长官蔡辉荣表示，此举旨在帮助各地增强自身的文化实力。

该部表示，该计划是在进行政策研究、区域辩论并听取所有16个省级政府的意见后制定的。

地方政府将被要求制定文化权利保障计划，并通过与中央和省级政府签订的多年期协议获得资金支持。

该计划包括建立一个数据库，将艺术家、教师和文化规划人员安排到当地工作岗位，并将未使用的场地改造成文化场所。

另一个 RE:CORE 项目将与土地和小企业部合作，把文化项目与创业支持相结合，以振兴老旧的城镇中心。

该部计划于10月向省市级官员和文化基金会举行情况介绍会。

发布于2026年9月15日上午11:10（韩国标准时间）

韩国文化体育观光部公布了第三个五年区域文化发展计划，旨在将资源从首尔都市区转移到韩国其他地区。

2026-2030 年计划建立在前两个阶段的基础上，旨在配合政府的“五大枢纽、三特区”战略，该战略是一个国家发展框架，将韩国划分为五个经济大区和三个特别行政区，以将增长扩展到首都地区以外。

该计划以“文化融入日常生活，打造宜居之地”为口号，提出了四项战略和十六项任务。其中包括要求地方政府制定“文化权利保障计划”，即确保居民享有文化生活权利的承诺，这些计划将通过与中央和省级政府签订的多年期协议共同出资。

其他措施包括建立数据库，对艺术家、教师和文化策划人员进行资格认证并安排到当地工作；将闲置工厂和其他未使用的场所改造成文化场所；以及扩大每周一次的“文化日”活动。文化部还计划建造多功能穹顶体育场，以便首尔以外的地区能够全年举办音乐会和体育赛事，并将国家博物馆、美术馆和图书馆迁至首都以外地区或新建。

另一项名为“RE:CORE”的项目，将与土地和小企业部合作，把文化项目与创业扶持相结合，以振兴老城区中心。该计划还提出在博物馆档案和图书馆教育中应用人工智能，并计划在2027年扩大“青年文化通行证”补贴计划的覆盖范围，惠及更多申请人和活动。

该部计划于10月举行情况介绍会，向省市级官员和文化基金会解释该计划。

文化部长蔡辉英在一份声明中表示：“人们留在一个地区不仅仅是为了工作和住房，更是为了享受那里的文化。”

“我们将保证每个人都能不受歧视地享受文化，无论他们居住在何处，并支持各地增强自身能力，创造和发展自己的文化。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。