The office of Rep. Lee So-hee (People Power Party), a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, said Friday that 200 million won in funding for relocating the administrative office of the Seoul Performing Arts Company — one of Korea's national arts troupes — to Gwangju was newly added through a request for budget increase during the committee's review of the first supplementary budget bill for 2026. The office explained that the project had not been included in either the 2026 main budget or the government's original supplementary budget proposal.
"Even though this project is being pursued under the policy goal of balanced regional development, the budget increase for only a specific region is raising concerns about equity among regions," Rep. Lee said. "Questions are being raised about why Gwangju gets approval but Daegu does not."
According to Rep. Lee's office, the relocation of national arts troupes to provincial areas was pursued by the previous administration as a mid-to-long-term initiative for balanced regional cultural development. However, the current government shifted to a review-oriented stance after taking office. Earlier this year, the relocation of the Seoul Performing Arts Company to Gwangju was revived following the president's remarks during the New Year policy briefing. Yet no comprehensive relocation criteria or roadmap covering all national arts troupes has been presented.
Under the previous administration, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had laid out a roadmap to relocate the Seoul Performing Arts Company to Gwangju and the National Opera of Korea to Daegu by 2026, with other national arts troupes to follow in phases. Under the current government, however, discussions on all relocations — including the National Opera's move to Daegu — have been suspended.
"If a project that was not even in the government's original supplementary budget proposal is to be newly incorporated, there must be a clear justification that meets the urgency standard," Rep. Lee said. "If relocating national arts troupes is truly a balanced regional development strategy, the government should first present an overall relocation roadmap and gather opinions from regional arts communities, rather than pushing individual projects through a supplementary budget."