Artists Protest 'Crony, Celebrity, Parachute' Appointments, Say Government Insulted Them
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Around 160 artists met in Seoul’s Daehak-ro for a four-hour 'Town Hall Meeting: Voices of Artists' to denounce recent public arts leadership appointments they call an "appointment disaster." Speakers criticized the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for naming heads of national arts institutions—characterizing selections as 'bo-eun' (patronage), 'celebrity' and 'parachute' (political outsiders placed into positions)—and said the process humiliated working artists by ignoring expertise and transparency. The gathering grew from a statement signed by 748 people and included a briefing on a 120-person survey where top desired qualities for public arts leaders were field understanding and communication (55.6%), professional expertise and vision (36.8%), and understanding of ecosystem sustainability (29.1%). Organizers also said they invited ministers and newly appointed heads to listen but received no substantive responses. Participants vowed to keep the public forum alive to defend the value and dignity of artistic work.
