Gandhi once said a nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.
And though arts and culture didn't feature prominently in the presidential campaign...
tonight we look at the incoming president's pledges for the arts.
To tell us more,.. our cultural correspondent Park Ji-won joins us live in the studio.
Hello, Jiwon.
[Reporter : Park Ji-won] Hello, guys.
The president-elect has been saying that she will provide stronger support for culture
and the arts with an increase in government spending and a series of new policies.
Before we start, let's first listen to what she said about culture.
[Interview : Park Geun-hye, President-elect ] "Korean people are very creative, and we
are endowed with artistic talent.
I believe Korea can become a cultural powerhouse in the world,... if we keep developing our
tangible and intangible assets."
The president-elect has an ambitious goal to increase government spending on culture
to 2 percent by 2017,... which is similar to the OECD average of one-point-nine percent.
Last year,... spending on culture accounted for about one-point-one-four percent of the
budget,... so to get to two percent in 5 years,.. spending has to increase by 17 percent a year.
From what I understand, there's been some criticism that it's just not realistic,..
considering that the percentage of the budget dedicated to culture hasn't changed much since
1999, when it stood at a mere one percent.
[Reporter : ] Yes, that's true...
However,.. it looks like we can reach two percent by the end of her five-year term.
Because this year's budget already includes a 12-percent increase for culture and the
arts.
With that, the budget for culture accounts for one-point-twenty-two percent of the total
government budget.
Culture ministry officials say they are pretty satisfied with that,... because they expected,..
an increase of just six or seven percent.
So.. the double-digit increase was a surprise,... especially since the incoming president has
said that welfare and the economy would be her top priorities.
Which area in the culture budget is expected to see the most growth[Reporter : ] Well-
As you can see from this table detailing the government budget for culture for this year,...
the funding for sports has increased the most,... due to the upcoming 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
General support for culture, the arts,.. and tourism has increased by more than 10 percent.
And I understand Park has some policy goals to improve the overall sustainability of the
arts industry.
[Reporter : ] President-elect Park has pledged to enact
what she calls a "basic law" on culture... that guarantees a person's right to cultural
activities.
She has also said she will introduce a law to boost arts patronage... and the government
plans to give tax deductions... to those who donate to cultural institutions.
The Park administration also plans to amend the artist welfare laws... that were passed
last year... to provide artists with more concrete support.
The budget for this,... has increased by 10 times this year,.. compared to last year.
This must be welcome news for the arts and culture communities in the country.
[Reporter : ] Well, I talked about that with some experts.
Let's hear what one of the experts had to say.
Lee Yong-kwan,... who's been working in the performing arts for the past 25 years,...
says,.. he welcomes the idea of a basic law on culture.
[Interview : Lee Yong-kwan, Trustee & President Korea Arts Management Service] "Culture has
always been somewhat neglected,.. compared to politics and the economy.
For example, in presidential debates,.. we hardly see any discussions on cultural issues.
A basic law on culture would guarantee everyone's right to culture... regardless of income or
educational level,... and I think it could serve to remind people about culture,.. and
their innate right to it."
He also adds,.. the government should put more emphasis on the arts, as they are the
foundation for a thriving cultural industry.
[Interview : Lee Yong-kwan, Trustee & President Korea Arts Management Service] "Korea's cultural
industries seem to have matured to some degree,.. so the government needs to focus on creating
an even playing field for them -- by making fairer rules,.. lowering entrance barriers
for businesses ... and providing tax breaks.
However,.. support for the fine arts -- such as literature, music, theater or dance -- should
be strengthened,.. as they are the true basis for any additional cultural products,.. which
will lead the next Korean Wave."
And before you go, Jiwon, we've heard that one of the nine subcommittees under the presidential
transition team will focus on gender equality and culture.
Could you tell us about who will lead the subcommittee[Reporter : Park Ji-won] Yes,...
there are two members.
The first is 55-year-old Mo Chul-min, who is the current president of Seoul Arts Center,..
a major venue for the performing arts,... will head the committee.
Mo had a long career at the Culture Ministry, serving there for 30 years.
The other member is 47-year old lawmaker Kim Hyun-sook,... who has long been a champion
of women's rights.
It's only been three days since the team started work, so we'll have to wait to see what the
committee does in the coming weeks.
Yes, indeed.
That sounds great.
Thanks for the report.
[Reporter : ] You're welcome.