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Busan Metropolitan City and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to Expand Policy Cooperation in Culture, Sports and Tourism

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it held discussions today, August 10, with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young, who was visiting Busan, on ways to strengthen policy cooperation in the fields of culture, sports and tourism.

During the meeting, Mayor Chun explained the major culture, sports and tourism initiatives that Busan Metropolitan City is pursuing as priorities and requested support from the central government.

Mayor Chun requested support for projects including the construction of a multipurpose domed arena; the establishment of Art Korea Lab Busan, a creative and entrepreneurial hub combining art and technology; more realistic levels of national government funding for the construction of National Sports Centers to expand the infrastructure for everyday sports activities; and the development of a super-regional tourism zone encompassing Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do, with Busan serving as the gateway.

In particular, he emphasized the need to address the concentration of cultural infrastructure and opportunities to enjoy culture in the Seoul metropolitan area and called for the national government’s attention and support so that Busan can play a substantive role as a cultural hub for the southern region.

Minister Choi introduced policies that local governments can utilize, including the “Dream Arts Troupe,” which expands arts and culture education for children and young people; “My Culture Wednesday,” which has expanded opportunities to enjoy culture from once a month to once a week; improvements to the system giving priority to local bookstores in purchases by public and school libraries; and support for upgrading aging cultural and sports facilities. He also asked Busan Metropolitan City to participate actively in these initiatives.

The two organizations agreed to maintain a cooperative relationship through ongoing communication across the full range of culture, sports and tourism policy, going beyond consultations on individual projects. The matters discussed at the meeting will be further developed through working-level consultations.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “Busan possesses assets that are difficult for other cities to replicate, spanning the ocean and port as well as film and visual media. We will devote our efforts to enabling citizens to enjoy culture in their daily lives and helping local artists establish themselves and thrive in Busan.”

He added, “We will work closely with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to ensure that the key initiatives we requested today lead to tangible results.”