Busan is good

Pompidou and La Scala Plans: A Change in Direction, Not a Halt, with Investment Refocused on Local Cultural Capacity

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Chun Jae-soo) announced that it will discontinue the project to establish a Busan branch of the Pompidou Centre and will not proceed with the current plan to invite Teatro alla Scala (La Scala) to perform in celebration of the opening of the Busan Opera House.

The announcement marks the first follow-up action on the Mayor's pledge at the September 30 town hall meeting that "What we have heard today will shape Busan's cultural policy." The City conducted three months of deliberations without predetermining the outcomes of either the Pompidou Centre Busan branch project or the proposed La Scala performances. For the Pompidou project, the City reviewed written opinions submitted anonymously by an 18-member policy review panel jointly chaired by two city council members. The proposed La Scala performances were examined through four meetings of an operational advisory committee, a public forum on August 24, and a public opinion survey of 1,000 citizens. Both projects were also discussed at a meeting of the Cultural Cooperation Committee on September 18 and the town hall meeting on September 30.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo explained that the decisions were reached after comprehensively considering the results of these deliberations and applying four core principles of municipal administration: tangible benefits for citizens, public interest, fiscal sustainability, and administrative accountability.

Pompidou Centre Busan Branch Project Discontinued in Consideration of Igidae Environmental Preservation and Fiscal Prudence

Although the policy review panel was unable to adopt a single recommendation due to differences between supporters and opponents, it compiled majority and minority opinions on each major issue. Some members anticipated cultural and tourism benefits, but the majority called for a reassessment of the project's key conditions. Opposition also predominated within the Cultural Cooperation Committee. Even members who expressed conditional support requested a reconsideration of the proposed Igidae site, citing concerns about environmental damage.

Both supporting and opposing views were expressed at the town hall meeting. Supporters pointed to potential tourism and economic benefits and the opportunity to enhance Busan's brand value. Opponents argued that the City should strengthen its local identity and support and nurture local artists rather than bring in a foreign cultural brand.

Through the deliberation process, the City identified four reasons for discontinuing the project. First, constructing a permanent facility at Igidae, a national geopark with approximately 80 million years of geological history, would impose environmental costs disproportionate to the expected benefits. Second, it would be difficult to adequately safeguard Busan's rights and the public interest under the proposed contract. Many participants called for improved contractual terms and specific guarantees regarding the artworks and content to be provided. Third, the long-term financial burden remained uncertain. A project planning study estimated that approximately KRW 110 billion in municipal funds would be required for construction and approximately KRW 12.5 billion annually for operations. However, a majority of opinions questioned the reliability of the economic feasibility analysis. Fourth, the project lacked sufficient consensus with the local arts community and a clear plan for mutual growth, while the division of responsibilities between the proposed branch and existing art museums remained unclear.

Nevertheless, the City stated that it would pursue alternative policy measures to fulfill citizens' aspirations for world-class cultural infrastructure, as confirmed during the deliberation process. It plans to strengthen Busan's exhibition capabilities by enhancing the exhibition, research, and collection capacities of the municipal art museum in eastern Busan and the contemporary art museum in western Busan, while expanding exchanges with leading overseas art museums. The City also plans to establish a multipurpose cultural exhibition space in the North Port area, a facility long requested by local artists, with the entire cost funded by the national government.

La Scala Performances Not to Proceed as Originally Planned Due to Sponsorship Shortfalls and the Need for Adequate Opening Preparations

The proposal to invite La Scala to perform in celebration of the Busan Opera House opening demonstrated strong public expectations for world-class performances, with 75% support in the public opinion survey and 64% conditional support in the Cultural Cooperation Committee's deliberations. However, more respondents favored proceeding with reduced costs (38.1%) than proceeding despite the substantial investment required (36.9%). Within the Cultural Cooperation Committee, support prevailed on conditions such as minimizing the financial burden and expanding participation by local artists. At the town hall meeting, a range of opinions was also presented, including support based on the potential to enhance Busan's city brand through La Scala performances and opposition calling for greater opportunities for mutual growth with outstanding local artists.

Respecting the results of the deliberations and comprehensively reviewing funding availability and opening preparations, the City decided not to proceed with the La Scala performances under the current plan. The decision was based on three considerations. First, the conditions necessary to minimize the City's financial burden had not been secured. The original plan called for 40% to 50% of the KRW 10 billion project budget to be raised through corporate donations and sponsorships. Despite continued discussions with various companies, the funding secured had fallen short of the target by the time budget allocation and other preparations needed to begin in earnest. The City concluded that committing to the performances without secure funding would not constitute responsible administration. Second, the tangible benefits that the performances would leave for Busan had not been sufficiently defined. The current plan did not adequately establish cooperation measures that would lead to local artists' participation, education, and talent development. Third, sufficient preparation time is essential to present a high-quality performance venue. The Busan Opera House will be the largest opera theater operated by a local government in South Korea, and there is no precedent for operating a theater of this scale. Thorough preparations are therefore required, including inspections and trial operations of stage equipment and acoustics, a variety of trial performances, and arrangements for audience services. The City determined that the venue and its overall operating systems must first be brought to the required standard to fully convey the artistic excellence of the world-class productions that citizens expect.

Construction of the Busan Opera House will be completed by the end of this year as scheduled. Facility safety and performance inspections will take place in the first half of 2027, followed by trial performances in the second half of the year, ahead of its official opening in 2028. The opening festival will be prepared in collaboration with local artists and cultural professionals to reflect Busan's history, everyday life, and cultural identity. The City will establish an integrated production system encompassing planning, production, rehearsals, and performances, enabling artists and stage technicians to gain experience and develop their expertise.

The City plans to develop the Busan Opera House into "Asia's leading opera production theater" through in-house productions, presentations of outstanding international works, and international cultural exchanges. Once the Opera House's operations have stabilized and become fully established, the City will reconsider inviting world-class opera performances, including those by La Scala, after securing the necessary funding and developing concrete cooperation arrangements.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, "This deliberation process was an opportunity to work together with citizens to determine the future direction of Busan's cultural development. We will also carefully incorporate the expectations and suggestions of those who may be disappointed by today's decisions into our future policies."

He added, "Together with our citizens, we will build a Busan where the arts are a source of the city's strength, culture enriches people's lives, and access to culture is an essential part of everyday life."