Cultural Support Programs for the Needy to Increase
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Kwak Young-jin, director of the planning and coordination office at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, speaks during a briefing for the ministry's 2009 policy report to President Lee Myung-bak Saturday. / Yonhap
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has unveiled a plan to extend support for cultural activities to the underprivileged and create more jobs in the culture and arts industry in efforts to overcome the economic slump.
According to the ministry's 2009 policy report to President Lee Myung-bak Saturday, it will invest 135 billion won in operating a comprehensive program of culture, arts, tourism and sports starting from March for people to enjoy.
"Next year's plan focuses on extending cultural benefits to people hit particularly hard economically and creating jobs", Kwak Young-jin, director of the planning and coordination office of the ministry, said.
As part of the "Hopeful Korea Project", the government will provide culture and sports vouchers to 350,000 people, and "Sarang Ticket", a membership service that provides discounts for cultural performances to 600,000 people.
Unsold tickets will be sold at discounted prices to students and teachers.
"The system is modeled after New York's Theater Development Fund-run discount booths, which offer tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays", Park Sun-tae, director of the arts bureau of the ministry, said. Ticket prices will be slashed by approximately 30 percent.
The national museums will extend their free admission policy to next year.
The ministry will also create a total of 18,000 jobs with 175.4 billion won; 9,508 jobs for cultural and arts and sports instructorships, 1,481 jobs in the cultural heritage and preservation sector, 5,048 youth internships, 1,350 jobs for artists and 613 jobs in cultural tourism.
The "Art New Deal Project", worth with 7 billion, will be introduced to provide job opportunities to artists by means of introducing a public arts project and a novelist residence program, along with support for performing arts groups.
The ministry will also designate cultural and historical areas around four major rivers ― Han, Youngsan, Nakdong and Geum ― in line with the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs' plan for their refurbishment. Three hundred and sixty-one underground historical assets and designated heritages are supposedly to be found along the rivers. The ministry said that the project is intended to develop the regions and restore their historical and cultural resources to promote tourism, setting aside 52.2 billion won in 51 development projects.
"There are many historical and cultural resources around the four rivers and their natural environment is excellent. The ministry thinks their clean up should be relevant to the culture and tourism industry", Kim Chan, director of the tourism bureau of the ministry, said.
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has unveiled a plan to extend support for cultural activities to the underprivileged and create more jobs in the culture and arts industry in efforts to overcome the economic slump.
According to the ministry's 2009 policy report to President Lee Myung-bak Saturday, it will invest 135 billion won in operating a comprehensive program of culture, arts, tourism and sports starting from March for people to enjoy.
"Next year's plan focuses on extending cultural benefits to people hit particularly hard economically and creating jobs", Kwak Young-jin, director of the planning and coordination office of the ministry, said.
As part of the "Hopeful Korea Project", the government will provide culture and sports vouchers to 350,000 people, and "Sarang Ticket", a membership service that provides discounts for cultural performances to 600,000 people.
Unsold tickets will be sold at discounted prices to students and teachers.
"The system is modeled after New York's Theater Development Fund-run discount booths, which offer tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays", Park Sun-tae, director of the arts bureau of the ministry, said. Ticket prices will be slashed by approximately 30 percent.
The national museums will extend their free admission policy to next year.
The ministry will also create a total of 18,000 jobs with 175.4 billion won; 9,508 jobs for cultural and arts and sports instructorships, 1,481 jobs in the cultural heritage and preservation sector, 5,048 youth internships, 1,350 jobs for artists and 613 jobs in cultural tourism.
The "Art New Deal Project", worth with 7 billion, will be introduced to provide job opportunities to artists by means of introducing a public arts project and a novelist residence program, along with support for performing arts groups.
The ministry will also designate cultural and historical areas around four major rivers ― Han, Youngsan, Nakdong and Geum ― in line with the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs' plan for their refurbishment. Three hundred and sixty-one underground historical assets and designated heritages are supposedly to be found along the rivers. The ministry said that the project is intended to develop the regions and restore their historical and cultural resources to promote tourism, setting aside 52.2 billion won in 51 development projects.
"There are many historical and cultural resources around the four rivers and their natural environment is excellent. The ministry thinks their clean up should be relevant to the culture and tourism industry", Kim Chan, director of the tourism bureau of the ministry, said.
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