Cheongju City named “This year’s City of Culture”

Enhances local development through utilizing 3,658 cultural spaces in 24 cultural cities in 2023, establishing a regional cultural foundation, nurturing local content, and training innovative cultural workforce

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) has spearheaded the “City of Culture[1]” project under the YOON Suk Yeol administration’s national strategy for “balanced regional cultural development,” offering comprehensive and systematic support. In collaboration with the City of Culture Evaluation (Chairperson JUNG Kap Young), the Ministry assessed the outcomes of city of culture development projects over the past year. Consequently, 2.53 million individuals participated in the city of culture events across 24 designated cultural cities. Recognizing these accomplishments, the Ministry awarded Cheongju City (Mayor LEE Beom Seok) the title of “City of Culture of the Year[2].” Seogwipo City, Yeongdo District, and Chuncheon City were also considered exceptional cities promoting balanced growth through culture.

Since 2019, the Ministry has designated 24 cities of culture through four rounds of selection: 7 in the first round, 5 in the second, 6 in the third, and 6 in the fourth. In December 2023, plans to create 13 “Cities of Culture of Korea” were approved. The final selection of these cities will proceed after further consultation and project development.

In 2023, the Ministry allocated KRW 1.5 billion in national funding to each of the 24 cities of culture. This funding supported various initiatives, such as enhancing local cultural conditions, uncovering and nurturing local content rooted in regional cultural foundations, and developing creative cultural talents.

Cheongju City Named "Cultural City of the Year,” Leading in Recording Culture

Cheongju City, named the “City of Culture,” boasts a rich documentary heritage that fosters the creation of cultural content. Jikji Simche Yojeol, the world’s first book printed with metal type, was produced at the historic Heungdeoksa Temple site in Cheongju. Further elevating its cultural profile, Cheongju successfully hosted the International Centre for Documentary Heritage under the auspices of UNESCO, inaugurated on November 1, 2023. In addition, the establishment of the Cheongju City Archives marks a significant step in preserving the area’s recording culture history from modern times to the present. Supporting the City of Culture initiative, Cheongju aims to develop a city brand centered on its recording culture to foster recording-related businesses leveraging this diverse cultural heritage.

Key objectives for Cheongju City include managing community archives, establishing citizen archives, educating professional cultural planners, improving conditions for artists, and driving economic growth through its recording culture. In 2023, Cheongju expanded its community archives with four additional locations, bringing the total to 21, and launched the second branch of the youth culture shop “Goodju” (Iron Flagpole Site Branch), ensuring that 70% of residents could access cultural venues within a 15-minute distance. The city’s Recording Culture Week has become a signature regional comprehensive festival, featuring concerts, fairs, and exhibitions. Cheongju has also laid a foundation for job creation and opportunities through initiatives like public art projects, youth cultural creation centers, and youth cultural shops.

The significant achievements of the entire 2023 Cities of Culture, including Cheongju, include the following.

Culture for Everyone in Every Corner of the City

All 24 cultural cities have identified and utilized 3,658 cultural spaces, an increase from 3,407 in 2022. This expansion has allowed 2.53 million residents and visitors, up from 2.5 million in 2022, to enjoy cultural activities across these cities. Chuncheon City, for example, has transformed abandoned residences into cultural venues, enabling 25,000 residents to participate in cultural programs. In addition, 206 commercial spaces have been repurposed as cultural sites, fostering culture-oriented cultural places and programs to fit each region’s physical and environmental characteristics, which has made culture more accessible to locals who previously had limited cultural opportunities.

 Seogwipo City has established 76 local cultural spaces in 105 villages, including cultural city centers, instrument libraries, and Yerae village cultural spaces. This initiative aims to correct cultural imbalances in communities and enhance residents’ access to culture. Approximately 48% of the Seogwipo population, over 88,000 people, now utilize local cultural area, markedly improving cultural accessibility for the community.

Promoting City Development through Specialized Local Culture

Cultural cities are leveraging their unique local cultures to develop “city branding,” laying the groundwork for sustainable community development. For example, Iksan City has branded itself as a cultural destination where visitors can feel as precious as jewels. Through events like the Treasure Hunt Festival, Iksan has breathed new life into its once-stagnant jewelry industry. This festival alone attracted around 22,000 visitors and resulted in a sales boost of approximately KRW 1.2 billion (1,200% sales increase). The development of cultural products, designs, and trademarks by these cultural cities is becoming a key factor in creating economic value for their communities. 

Miryang City has repurposed the former Miryang University into a cultural hub, creating the Sunshine Cultural Campus. This initiative has broadened cultural access through various programs. The Sunshine Cultural City University Program, which trains cultural arts planners, and “Sunshine Pop-up,” which brings cultural programs to underserved communities, are just a couple of examples of Miryang’s efforts to enrich its cultural landscape. Gongju City, known for its gallery-rich downtown, is transforming this area into the “Gongju Painting Shop Street,” now hosting seven galleries. This development supports new artists by providing spaces where they can exhibit and sell their work, drawing visitors and enhancing Gongju’s cultural appeal.

Transforming from Depopulated to Culturally Appealing Places to Live

Among the 24 cultural cities, Yongdo District, Yeongwol County, Miryang City, Gongju City, and Gochang County are facing population decline. However, since initiating preliminary and primary city projects in 2020, all these cities have experienced an uptick[3] in regional visitors. To counteract declining populations, these cultural cities have developed unique cultural tourism products that showcase their distinctive cultures. For instance, Yeongdo District in Busan has crafted historical and cultural tourism experiences, such as tours to the maritime cultural tourist site KANGKANGEE Arts Village, the KANGKANGEE Cruise, and a novel-based exploration course of Yeongdo Cultural City through the novel “Pachinko.” Yeongwol County has created a cultural hub known as the ”Neighborhood Cultural Charging Station[4],” which aims to disseminate cultural spaces across Yeongwol and offer both residents and visitors ample opportunities to engage with culture.

Designation of “Cities of Culture” for Inter-City Collaboration and Connectivity by 2024

This year, the MCST is set to allocate KRW 36 billion in funding for the development of cultural city projects led by local governments across the 24 cultural cities. In addition, by the end of the year, the Ministry aims to designate “Cities of Culture in Korea,” focusing on inter-city collaboration and connectivity to encourage balanced cultural development across regions. Starting next year (2025–2027), a substantial sum of KRW 260 billion (comprising KRW 130 billion in national financing and KRW 130 billion in local funding) will be dedicated to their concentrated cultivation.

Minister YU said, “I plan to visit cultural cities and regions every month this year to inspect them firsthand. I will continue supporting each city in becoming a cultural cities that reflect the region's characteristics and lead balanced regional development through culture.”