Although regional cultural conditions have improved, there is still a cultural gap between the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, as well as between urban and rural areas.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute released the results of the 2023 'Regional Cultural Status Survey,' which contains this information, along with the 'Regional Cultural Index' calculated based on it, on the 30th.
The Regional Cultural Status Survey is conducted every three years to diagnose the cultural environment and the level of cultural gaps in each region. This survey was conducted on 245 local governments nationwide, applying a total of 36 regional cultural indicators across four categories: cultural policies, cultural resources, cultural activities, and cultural enjoyment.
The survey results indicated that the cultural conditions in the regions have improved. Among the 18 indicators that can be compared over time since 2020, the average values for all 13 indicators for basic and metropolitan local governments have increased.
By indicator, the ratio of cultural projects supported by local governments (metropolitan 66.4%, up 10.2 percentage points; basic 59%, up 2.9 percentage points), the number of planned projects on Culture Day (metropolitan 5.5 projects, up 17%; basic 5.6 projects, up 100%) in the cultural policy area, and regional cultural arts corporations and organizations (metropolitan 107.5, up 31.1%; basic 7.9, up 29.5%) showed an increasing trend, along with the number of professional personnel in stage arts per 500 seats in cultural centers (metropolitan 4, up 90.5%; basic 2.4, up 84.6%).
On the other hand, the average ratio of cultural budgets compared to the total budget for each local government decreased in both metropolitan (down 0.32 percentage points) and basic (down 0.15 percentage points) governments.
Although regional conditions have improved, the cultural gap between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, as well as between urban and rural areas, remains.
To comprehensively understand and analyze the cultural conditions by region, weights were applied to each indicator, and it was found that the regional cultural index in the metropolitan area was relatively higher compared to the non-metropolitan areas. The regional cultural index for urban, rural-urban complex, and rural areas was also highest in that order, and the higher the financial independence of local governments, the higher the regional cultural index.