Structural Overhaul of Culture Infrastructure to Decentralize Seoul-Centric Concentration

Ministry of Culture Unveils 3rd Regional Culture Promotion Plan
Targets: 70% Arts Attendance Rate and 2.0% Budget Allocation

Opportunities for enjoying large-scale performances and exhibitions in regional areas are increasing, and both the target audience and eligible uses for youth culture subsidies are being expanded. The government is pushing to relocate or establish new national cultural facilities such as museums, art museums, and libraries outside of the greater Seoul area, and will also promote the construction of dome stadiums capable of hosting both sporting events and large-scale performances. The plan aims to decentralize culture infrastructure and content, which are heavily concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, to reduce cultural disparities based on place of residence.

On September 15, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced its '3rd Basic Plan for Local Culture Promotion (2026–2030),' which contains these measures. The core of the plan is to restructure the Seoul-centered cultural system and achieve balanced regional growth, designated as 'Five Core Regions and Three Special Zones,' through culture. It represents a shift from the previous top-down approach where the central government designated projects for localities, to a new system where local governments design their own policies, and the central government supports them with funding and institutional frameworks.

Under the vision of 'A Daily Life with Culture, Regions Where People Want to Stay,' the government will implement four main strategies and 16 key tasks: ▲ establishing a regional cultural ecosystem ▲ securing a foundation for cultural autonomy ▲ connecting local and greater regional units for balanced cultural growth ▲ and creating the future of regions through culture.

Through these measures, the government aims to increase the national arts and culture participation rate from 60.2% in 2025 to 70% by 2030. It will also raise the proportion of local governments’ budget allocated to arts and culture from 1.6% to 2.0% during the same period, and pursue a goal of 60% satisfaction in local residents’ assessment of their cultural living conditions by 2030.

The decision-making authority of local governments will also be strengthened. When basic-level local governments establish a 'Plan to Guarantee Basic Cultural Rights' tailored to their local context and residents' needs, the central, provincial, and basic-level governments will sign multi-year policy agreements to carry out these projects. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will be responsible for setting guidelines and providing national funding, provincial governments will offer consulting and financial linkage, and basic-level local governments will directly design and execute the projects.

Cultural professionals active in regional areas will also be nurtured. The government plans to develop and place local cultural planners and others on-site, so they can design programs that reflect residents' needs. It will also establish an integrated database to certify the careers of artists, instructors, and cultural planners, and connect them with job opportunities.

The government will also support the creation of new works and expansion of sales channels for local artists. It will increase support for emerging and early-career artists and review ways to expand the participation of regional artists in performances and festivals funded by the national and local governments. Local cultural centers will be fostered as hubs focusing on creating and producing performances unique to each region, rather than merely serving as venues. Excellent works produced in the regions will be supported for nationwide distribution and overseas advancement.

Opportunities for residents to tangibly experience and enjoy culture will also be widened. Closed industrial facilities, idle spaces, and industrial complexes will be transformed into cultural spaces, and outstanding performances and exhibitions will be showcased locally through an expanded 'Our Neighborhood Project.' From 2027, the 'Youth Culture & Arts Pass' will be restructured as the 'Youth Culture Pass,' widening both the range of eligible recipients and the types of cultural activities it can be used for.

The government will establish extensive regional cultural zones that transcend administrative boundaries. Based on the 'Five Core Regions and Three Special Zones,' each broad region will develop its own balanced cultural development plan, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism supporting administrative and financial aspects through agreements. The intent is to expand cultural policy units from individual local governments to broader living and economic zones.

The focus on the Seoul metropolitan area regarding cultural facility concentration will be eased. The relocation or establishment of national cultural facilities such as museums, art museums, and libraries in regional areas will be promoted, and the construction and remodeling of public cultural facilities will be supported. The plan also calls for building dome stadiums capable of hosting both sporting events and large-scale performances, thereby expanding local access to major events and cultural facilities that are currently clustered in the capital region.

Cultural content will also be utilized to support the regional economy and urban regeneration. In shrinking old downtown areas, the government will promote the 'Old City RE-CORE Project,' which links cultural content start-ups with cultural activities. In partnership with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the plan aims to bring cultural content businesses and new groups of active residents into these areas. Consulting and inter-city cooperation projects will also be implemented in cultural cities that no longer receive national funding.

The scope of community-oriented cultural policy will expand to address local issues as well. Initiatives such as the 'Cultural Prescription Project' will be launched to engage residents and artists in jointly addressing local concerns like depopulation, ecological challenges, and community conflict. The government will also strengthen care and healing services through cultural activities in cooperation with social welfare institutions.

Unique regional cultural assets will be developed into cultural content. Local dialects, the cultures of villages at risk of disappearing, and peace cultures of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and border regions will be recorded and preserved, and then used for performances, exhibitions, and festivals. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be integrated into national museums to introduce AI archives and customized viewing services, and art museums will expand interactive exhibition content for visitors.

Minister Choi Hwiyeong of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, "People do not choose to stay in a region solely because of jobs or housing but also because of the culture they can enjoy there," and added, "The central government will guarantee universal cultural rights so that everyone can equally enjoy culture wherever they live, and will support regions in independently creating and cultivating their own cultural assets."

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