Sisa Journal (시사저널) Issue.1711 (July 29 2022)

Reporter: KIM Jong-il and LEE Won-seok (idea@sisajournal.com)

[Exclusive Interview] Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism PARK Bo Gyoon

Unveiling the blueprint for turning the Blue House into a multipurpose Culture Complex this fall

“Returning artworks to the people, which used to be exclusively accessible by only a few in power”

“The New Blue House will be ready in fall…to emerge as Korea’s representative landmark.”

“It is not to simply reproduce a small model of the former Governor-General’s residence of Joseon, but to feature the former presidential office amidst our turbulent history.”

“I positively support the game industry… public opinion matters above all in determining whether to exempt BTS from active military duty.”

“We will return to the people the masterpieces in the Blue House collection, which for so long were exclusively appreciated only by a few of the nation’s most powerful elite.” This statement from Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister PARK Bo Gyoon was reiterated most strongly in an interview with Sisa Journal on July 26 held at the Seoul Office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) inside the building of the National Theater Company of Korea (Yongsan). PARK said, “Opening the Blue House to the public signifies an end to authoritarian politics as well as the “imperial” presidential system. The Blue House has now been returned to the people, which is a symbol of the YOON Suk Yeol administration.” He added, "I am confident that the Blue House will become the most prominent landmark in Korea, in which culture, art, history, and nature converge."

Why did you include the blueprint for the use of the Blue House as the first agenda in your policy briefing to the President?

Cheong Wa Dae—the former presidential compound commonly known as the Blue House—has now been returned to the people. This symbolizes the YOON Suk Yeol administration’s move to return presidential power to the public. Opening the former presidential compound to visitors signifies an end to authoritarian politics as well as the “imperial” presidential system. As citizens must be aware of this by now, the move is truly a historic decision. In my understanding, there are only a few cases in the world where the presidential office and official residence have been voluntarily opened to the public. I think the most important task for the Minister of MCST is to support the President in realizing his philosophy and vision, which is reflected in this unprecedented, historic decision. Meanwhile, I am convinced that if the Blue House compound is properly curated, it will become the most prominent landmark in Korea, which embraces culture, art, history, and nature. Turning the site into a cultural complex reaffirms such determination and serves as a symbol of the YOON administration. For these reasons, the proposal was set as the first agenda in the Presidential policy briefing.

Do you think the plan is also meaningful and important to the people?

Of course. For a long time, the Blue House was nearly impossible for ordinary citizens to access. Its space and buildings exuded an intimidating aura, keeping people away. However, the compound is now approaching citizens with kindness and showcasing the beauty of our traditional architecture. In this regard, I am confident that the site’s massive change will be recorded as the most monumental event in Korea’s history of politics in the 21^st century.

How would you summarize the change of the Blue House?

The Blue House compound is 3.2 times the size of the White House grounds in the US. This huge space is filled with cultural and artistic contents. It holds over 600 artworks in its collection. Among them, there are 340 paintings and sculptures. At the same time, the compound itself is a historical and cultural area, as it embodies the lives and legacies of former presidents. It is home to 50,000 trees and flowers and surrounded by pristine nature. Cultural assets such as Chimryugak House—a traditional house from the early 1900s, Ounjeong, and the Gyeongju Seated Stone Buddha with Square Pedestals (Treasure No. 1977), which is reminiscent of the main Buddha statue inside Seokguram Grotto, as well as architectural treasures are situated inside the compound. The key to the proposal is to reconcile all of these contents and space inside the site in a harmonious and attractive way, thus making the Blue House a living, breathing place. If the opening of the site to the public offers a chance to tour around and view scenery, we plan to return it to citizens as an art complex.

What is the “killer content” that blows people way?

Korean masterpieces were funneled into the Blue House for a long time. Starting from the time of President RHEE Syngman in 1948, the best artworks were donated. They include works of contemporary masters of Korean Art such as HEO Baek-ryeon, JANG Woo-seong, LEE Sang-bum, KIM Ki-chang, HEO Geon, and SUH Se-ok. In the past, such amazing pieces were enjoyed only by a few elite in power. We plan to showcase these artworks to the public, not keep them hidden as the property of powerful people. Allowing the public to appreciate all of these masterpieces is one of measures to utilize the Blue House compound as a cultural and art complex.

I was told that the cataloging of the artworks in the Blue House collection is currently in progress.

Basic work such as catalog production is in progress. We are also working on storytelling by tracing how each artwork ended up in the Blue House. We are meeting with descendants of the artists to listen to their stories. I think the relationship between power and art would offer an interesting story for the people.

When will the new cultural and art complex Blue House be ready?

We are preparing to unveil this fall. We plan to showcase the best possible public exhibition, entitled “Korean Paintings in the Blue House Collection”, though it is still a working title. We are working on the exhibition in collaboration with leading experts in the field in Korea, which will redefine the standard of public-private partnership. The Blue House’s Yeongbingwan, the state guest house, is a space full of not only artistic inspiration but also great imagination. Yeongbingwan will be the center of the exhibition, while the Blue House compound will be preserved intact. Before that, a special exhibition to highlight works of artists with disabilities is being prepared for the end of August or early September. JUNG Eun-hye, the artist and actress who captivated viewers with her impressive acting in the drama Our Blues, and KIM Hyun-woo, an artist with developmental disabilities whose paintings President YOON cherishes and adorns the walls of his home and presidential office with, will also display their pieces. The special exhibition will be held at the briefing room on the second floor of the Blue House’s Chunchugwan.

Should reservations be made online for free admission to the exhibitions like the tour reservations today?

Yes. The scenery of the Blue House is particularly amazing in autumn. We are doing our utmost to ensure that people will be able to appreciate the masterpieces of Korean painting masters and spend the most amazing day in the Blue House in the cool autumn season. I promise you a wonderful day out this fall.

Do you have anything else planned?

The KBS Open Concert was held on the outdoor stage of the Blue House in May. Just like that, we are planning to stage traditional Korean and classical music concerts on the lawn of the compound, although nothing concrete has been decided yet. K-Classical is an integral part of K-Culture (Korean cultural contents). We are contacting the winners of major international music competitions so that we can provide a great opportunity for people to enjoy their music at the Blue House.

What instructions did President YOON give during the briefing?

President YOON instructed me to turn the Blue House compound into an art complex for the public. He also stressed that the most important role of MCST is to guarantee fair access to cultural life. In his inaugural address, he reiterated his administrative philosophy that everyone must be granted the freedom to access and experience various cultural activities. His will is very strong in this matter. In addition to providing sufficient spaces for exhibitions of works created by disabled artists, young artists, and up-and-coming artists, he believes that the cultural accessibility of the socially disadvantaged should be tangibly improved.

Does this mean incorporating the value of “fairness” into the proposal for the Blue House?

Yes. Let me put it this way. We want to return to the public the greatest masterpieces of Korean art, which had long been exclusively appreciated by only a few individuals in power. The President basically seeks to unveil the artworks that the Blue House has in its collection to the public. At the same time, he wants to give back to the people the former presidential site, which was exclusively accessible by only a small number of powerful elites for decades. Our proposal is also a part of this move to turn the compound into a cultural complex, in which art, history, and nature converges, going beyond simply opening it to the public.

There are also voices of criticism regarding the proposal for the Blue House. Above all, some raise issue with the idea of restoring the former residence of the Governor-General of Joseon into a small model in the Blue House.

I believe there is a misunderstanding, which can be resolved once people understand the history of the main building of the Blue House in detail. The demolished main building dates back to 1939, when it was built as the residence of the Joseon Governor-General. For six years until the nation’s liberation in 1945, three Joseon governors resided there. Under the U.S. Military Government from 1945 to 1948, Lt. General John HODGE, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Forces in Korea, lived there. After the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea in 1948, the governor-general building was incorporated into our history and used as the presidential office for 43 years. In other words, the building was the epicenter of presidential leadership and bore witness to the many historical moments that happened right there during the tumultuous 43-year period in Korean history. It is no wonder many people feel curious about what the space looked like. Since the opening of the Blue House to citizens, many people, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, have been asking what the main building of the Blue House looked like. Our plan is not to restore the former Joseon Governor-General’s residence itself. Rather, we are preparing how to produce a small model of the space, which preserved the legacies of former presidents and the history of Korea for 43 years. The key here is to feature the official presidential office.

Please explain in more detail.

During the 43-year period in Korean history, the country underwent a turbulent time. The nation achieved both industrialization and democracy in those years, and each moment marked a story of the presidents’ anguish and decision-making. The building itself, every nook and cranny, can tell these stories. This is the place we plan to present to the present and future generations. To this end, we have invited the families of six former presidents as advisors to get more detailed stories of the historical moments involved. They include JO Hye-ja (President RHEE Syngman’s daughter-in-law), YUN Sang-gu (President YUN Posun’s son), PARK Ji-man (President PARK Chung-hee’s son, President PARK Geun-hye’s younger brother), ROH Jae-heon (President ROH Tae-woo’s son), KIM Hyun-cheol (President KIM Young-sam’s son), and KIM Hong-up (President KIM Dae-jung’s son). I would also like to hear from them about the former presidents’ moments of decision-making, which were not archived into the official records of history. These family members also said that they have never met each other for such an occasion, so I think this process can also contribute to national unity in a way.

There was also a media report that the culture ministry bypassed the Office of the President and announced its blueprint for the use of the Blue House.

That is not true. MCST explained everything to the Office of the Secretary to the President for General Affairs before the announcement and has closely communicated with it regarding the issue. We have also cordially communicated with the Cultural Heritage Administration. I know that even the Presidential Office does not agree with the report at all.

Some have raised concerns that the existing facilities and landscaping of the Blue House compound will be damaged once the blueprint is implemented.

I can assure you that you do not have to worry about that.

Let's move on to another issue. Some point out that “game” is omitted from your Presidential policy briefing.

That is also not true. In my Presidential briefing, I explained that the content industry has emerged as the country’s main export earner, and games are at the very center of this development. I also stated that, as the game industry accounts for about 70% of content exports, we are paying particular attention to the industry and will support it with policy measures. When I met with people from the game industry, they told me, “You have prepared a lot”, and “You know way too much about games”.

What is your stance on giving BTS members exemptions from active military service?

Above all, public opinion matters. There are three main perspectives in the public opinion. First, military service is a sacred duty. Second, BTS has promoted K-Culture and improved Korea’s national brand image worldwide. Third, we should strike a balance between the fine art and pop culture fields. We view these as the three major arguments in the public opinion, and MCST will fully consider all related aspects.