President Lee Jae-myung on Thursday expressed concerns that the existing arts and culture support system "could become like pouring water into a bottomless bucket," calling for more autonomous efforts from the cultural community.
"The foundation of the arts and culture sector is not solid, yet the roots of Korea as a cultural powerhouse lie in the efforts of artists working on the front lines," Lee said during a meeting with local artists at the Changdong Art Village Art Center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung.
"When artists move into declining neighborhoods, that decay can transform into culture," the president said. "I made the remarkable discovery that it can be turned into something for everyone to enjoy together."
Attendees shared various ideas and challenges with the president. One participant explained that Changdong Art Village was established in 2012 as an effort to revitalize the declining urban area through arts and culture. Another suggested that local governments and institutions should actively use locally branded souvenirs and gifts to promote regions and attract talented individuals who have left to return home.
After listening to participants, Lee acknowledged the complexity of arts policy. "Other sectors respond when you pay attention to them, but the cultural arts field keeps fragmenting the deeper you go—it's truly diverse and multifaceted," he said.
The president noted that while originality, creativity, and freedom are strengths of cultural arts projects, "when you create a policy, it stops somewhere in the middle." He added that support systems sometimes "degenerate into means of corruption," with companies inserting themselves as intermediaries in creative funding.
"Ultimately, while top-down approaches matter, I believe much more autonomous effort from the field is needed," Lee said, contrasting the sector with industry and welfare policy where demands are strong and messages unified.
Lee pledged government support while urging collective action. "We will do everything we can," he said. "I hope you will also make efforts together on this occasion."
