Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hun) will operate a consultation system made of civilian experts by commissioning a master planner for culture and the arts for the first time in Seoul to rise as a mecca of culture and art.

 The master planner of culture and the arts will discover and specialize local cultural and artistic resources in Gangdong-gu to create a Gangdong-type culture and art brand. The master planner will oversee the project and offer consultations in order to turn Gangdong-gu into a city of culture and art.  

 As a civilian expert, the master planner will offer systematic support for culture and art policies regarding major events, festivals, and culture and art projects that were promoted individually.

 Professor Kwon Jae-hyeon (54) of Chung-Ang University Graduate School of Art was commissioned to be the master planner of culture and the arts for one term starting on February 15. Professor Kwon received his doctorate from the Chung-Ang University's Department of Contemporary Cultural Studies and directed and produced various events and performances for more than ten years.   

 Last January, Gangdong-gu launched the Gangdong Foundation for Arts & Culture as a means of advancing local culture and the arts, but the culture and art world experienced great difficulties due to the unexpected COVID-19 crisis that escalated last February. In response to this crisis, the district offered support totaling KRW 73 million in emergency livelihood funds for local artists, launched the first online Pre-Historic Culture Festival in Gangdong, and held various cultural and art festivals such as the Gangdong Light Bridge Festival, outdoor sculpture exhibition, and busking performances as efforts to present alternative options for the culture and art world that grew stagnant due to COVID-19. 

 Mayor Lee Jung-hun commented, “Through this consultation system with the master planner of culture and the arts, we will offer systematic support for culture and art policies in Gangdong-gu, which is nearing a population of 5.5 million. We will make efforts to create a model for a new Gangdong-type city of culture as an elegant city of culture and art.”