Yeongwol County in Gangwon Province and Chungju City in North Chungcheong Province have been selected as the 2025 "Culture Cities of the Year" among 30 culture cities operated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Yeongwol was recognized for revitalizing its mining heritage, while Chungju earned distinction for advancing its vision as a traditional Korean music hub.
The ministry announced on January 11 that the selections followed a year-long performance review of 30 culture cities, comprising 17 cities designated in the second through fourth rounds and 13 "Culture Cities of Korea."
"The culture city policy has established itself as a core driver for overcoming regional extinction crises and revitalizing local economies," the ministry stated.
Since being designated a fourth-round culture city in 2022, Yeongwol has built its "Culture Mining City" brand based on its identity as a former mining region. The concept centers on "excavating residents' stories and culture like mining minerals from a mountain."
The county recruited a "Citizen Documentation Corps" to reexamine mining culture and published "Yeongwol Mining Office and Machari," creating Yeongwol-specific content from residents' perspectives. Through its flagship "Regional Living Lab" program, where residents identify and solve local problems, the county developed 6,799 residents into cultural participants—more than five times the previous year's figure.
Chungju established a virtuous cycle ecosystem under its vision as a "Traditional Korean Music Content Hub City," integrating gugak (traditional Korean music) into daily life while expanding it into a major industry. The city's "Chungju Masterpiece" project enhanced performance quality and supported branding efforts.
The waterfront fireworks show "Universe on the Lake" at Tangeum Lake and the "WITH GUGAK" music festival attracted 56,000 total attendees. Traditional music performances in Chungju increased approximately 40% year-over-year, enriching the local gugak ecosystem.
Overall, the review found that 6.42 million people engaged in cultural activities through culture city programs across all 30 cities, while 4,060 unused spaces were transformed into cultural hubs.
Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi Province, Gimhae and Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang Province, Iksan in North Jeolla Province, and Dalseong County in Daegu were recognized for creating neighborhood cultural programs that bring culture closer to residents' daily lives.
Miryang in South Gyeongsang Province, Chuncheon in Gangwon Province, Bupyeong District in Incheon, Sejong City, Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province, and Suncheon in South Jeolla Province were commended for developing local cultural resources into high-value industries that energized regional economies.
Gochang in North Jeolla Province, Gongju in South Chungcheong Province, Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul, Suyeong District in Busan, and Sokcho in Gangwon Province were acknowledged for addressing community challenges through resident participation and cultural approaches, creating places "where people want to visit and live."
"Over the past seven years, the culture city policy has proven that 'every region is special in its own right,'" the ministry said. "The government will spare no effort in supporting all 30 culture cities to serve as strong bulwarks against regional extinction and growth engines driving local economies."