Actor-slash-Culture Minister Yu In-chon opens up about return to politics

Arts & Design

Published: 05 Dec. 2023, 18:07 Updated: 05 Dec. 2023, 19:04

Actor-slash-Culture Minister Yu In-chon opens up about return to politics

Culture Minister Yu In-chon interviews with the JoongAng Sunday, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in central Seoul on Nov. 13. [KIM SANG SEON]

It’s the experience that counts — especially if you’re the first two-time culture minister whose previous tenure was the longest and largely considered to have been one of the most well-executed terms in cultural politics.

Recently-appointed Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon is the first in Korean history to get the job twice, after having served from February 2008 to January 2011 during the Lee Myung-bak administration, the longest that a culture minister has ever served.

A veteran actor famed for his poised acting, Yu was acting on stage even up until the day before he was appointed on Sept. 13. But that didn’t keep him from switching to his bureaucratic hat within a matter of hours.

His reappointment didn’t come without concerns, however.

After his first term, Yu was alleged of being at the epicenter of the so-called cultural blacklist scandal that swept the domestic culture scene starting in 2016. The cultural blacklist was first exposed in October that year by former Culture Minister Yoo Jin-ryong, who claimed that the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations kept a list of artists who disapproved of their political stance and oppressed them in various ways.

Yu denied the allegations during a hearing held on Oct. 5 and has since continued to try to alleviate any concerns.

Since day one of his second appointment, Minister Yu’s focus has been on innovating the existing artist-support programs organized by art institutions. Rather than letting outside panels decide who gets the government subsidies — a measure implemented to prevent another “blacklist” scandal —, Yu aims to give institutions the power to choose their recipients, but makes them responsible for the decision, while also letting more artists apply for different programs more often.

A 1-trillion-won ($761.3 million) fund was also announced to boost the stricken-down video content market over the course of the next five years. Online video streaming services are especially struggling amid intense competition from global tech giants and the toughening production environment in the domestic market.

Yu is continuously holding meetings with on-site experts and staff so as to get a better grasp on the market and make any necessary changes to the budget.

“It’s hard. I even lost 3 kilograms [6.6 pounds] working all day long, different from my free schedule while acting,” Yu said. “I’m doing my best to achieve good results, now that I’m in charge. It’s no use going through all of this trouble and leaving nothing behind.”

Minister Yu In-chon acts during the open practice session of the play "Faust" on March 21 at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo District, western Seoul. [YONHAP]

Yu debuted in 1971 through the play “Othello.” He most recently played Faust in Johann Wolfgang von Gothe’s play “Faust,” which was staged at the LG Arts Center from March 31 to April 29. He has also starred in many television series.

He started his political career by establishing the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture in 2004. During his previous term as minister, he was best applauded for his work on copyright laws, establishing the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the National Hangeul Museum, and founding Korea National Contemporary Dance Company. He returned as an actor, never expecting to return to politics after his term ended in 2011.

“I perceived the minister role as another acting role for me,” he said when he returned to the acting scene. “From now on, I will dive into finding the essence of plays on this small stage.”

Another concern is that his policies may not be in tandem with the 12 years of rapid change that have taken place in Korean culture, but Yu also hopes to address such worries with his top goals: taking a proactive approach to using AI in culture, expanding the culture budget and using the former Blue House properties to best benefit the people.

Minister Yu In-chon meets the cast of opera "Nabucco" at the National Theater of Korea on Nov. 30. [NEWS1]

Yu sat down for an interview with the JoongAng Sunday, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in central Seoul on Nov. 13.

The following are excerpts of the interview with Yu, which have been edited for length and clarity.

Q. Please explain to us your intentions for fixing the artist-support programs. Why do you see the need to change the current system?

A. Up until now, thousands of experts were randomly chosen to assess artists’ portfolios in order to prevent the formation of a blacklist. What that meant was that if something went wrong, institutions blamed the experts, but the experts didn’t take responsibility, meaning that no constructive results ever came. Putting institution employees in charge will prevent this type of problem from happening as they have to take full responsibility for the results regardless of having somebody higher up watching their back. The new system may be burdensome for the employees, but now is the time to change in order for the system to settle down.

Will the responsible reviewer not be biased? And won't it lead to more intense competition?

They have to be more careful as the more authority they have, the more responsibility that follows. I’m certain that problems will be raised when talented artists don’t get the support. Employees should become experts themselves by going out into the field and creating their own evaluation guidelines that select what to focus on. In the end, we want to help those who are skilled.

For example, the current support system is a type of livelihood assistance, given bit-by-bit to 100 people, which always leads them into debt when doing a project. Our goal is to provide solid support to half of the total 100 people, while the other 50 will be inspired by the achievements of the first half, thereby encouraging them to continuously challenge themselves. I’m not saying that everything I say is right. Every support policy always has a balloon effect, meaning that we have to continue making complementary actions [to counteract the effect].”

As the one in charge of the overall cultural policy, what do you think is the main topic to be discussed during the K-culture era?

It’s all about getting our artists more into the global market. Now is the time for fine art to gain competitive power alongside pop culture on global stages. Culture has a major ripple effect.

During a meeting for tourism strategies, [I met people from] the beauty industry who said that it was their first time participating in such an event. Dancing crew 1Million says that 70 percent of its students are foreigners, impacting local restaurants and housing around the area. We boosted the economy with culture, and cultural policies shouldn’t be falling behind. By doing so, copyright income should also be recognized.

The streaming market is also in need of a major transformation, is it not?

Production companies must be encouraged to possess their own intellectual properties (IP) and streaming services. We are planning to establish a 600-billion-won fund next year as the production fee for content has increased, making it hard for them to carry on with government funds. The newly planned fund will boost the market, leading to more content to target the global market.

There aren’t many countries that can make high-quality content. As Korea has strong content power, if measures to vitalize original content are made, [I believe that] Korean original content companies will be able to cover countries overseas, at least in Central and Southeast Asia.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, poses for a photo with newly-appointed Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon on Oct. 11 after formally appointing Yu at the presidential office in central Seoul. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Do you have any connections or ties with President Yoon Suk Yeol?

I didn’t, but President Yoon showed much interest in culture. He called me directly to talk about revitalizing traditional Korean music a couple of days ago. The first lady, Kim Keon Hee, also often discusses ways to revive traditions.

Were there any reasons why you didn’t participate in politics after your first term?

Should I have continued my career in politics instead? (laughs) I thought that one time was enough at the time. I also felt anxious about how many more pieces I could make before I died. I used to dream of becoming an actor like Robert De Niro. After setting up a studio, planning and practicing, I couldn't make any progress in this [politics] direction. I’ll eventually go back on stage after this term ends as well. I want to play “King Lear” when I return and “Kholstomer” when I’m 80. That’s the best age to do so.

Having a role as an actor and an administrator seems like an unlikely pairing, and you seem to be the only case to successfully do so in Korea.

I think I did better because I was an actor. There is no role that I haven’t done, including being a president. “Faust,” captures the whole world, and all those experiences [of acting] became an asset for me. I was able to tackle issues as I knew what was missing in the actual field. Looking back on those times, I was very much determined in what I did. People in the national assembly said that they thought I was weird during the time when the game industry needed to develop. At the time, the Culture Ministry was involved in both promotion and regulation. So I told them that the ministry would only work on developing the industry, not regulating it. In the past, I pushed for matters that I thought were right, which might be hard to do in this term as the situation and conditions have changed a lot since then.

What about the budget increase?

There are some issues being debated in the budget subcommittee, but we plan to operate those fields by proceeding with alternative programs. Though art instructors’ subsidies were cut by 50 percent, an afterschool care program and social-cultural art education are slated to proceed as an alternative. Though national budget support for film festivals has been cut off, we instead put major investments toward film funds.

The problem with the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency [manhwa being Korean cartoons] was that the municipal government was giving away government subsidies as support funds in broad areas, which is awkward. From now on, the Korea Creative Content Agency will reorganize the institution and take a hands-on approach to developing the place, which will be better for the industry as well. We will also work hard to increase the budgets for fields that were cut back on, on the basis of focusing on specific areas. I hope to secure over 7 trillion won this time.

Which field is the most desperate to be developed?

The fine arts. Fine arts get far less support compared to the content industry, as it is thought of as not being an industry material, leading artists to barely even get paid for their work. I believe that half of the content support should be directed toward the fine arts field since the foundation of content originates from there. Currently, the content budget is 1 trillion won, while only 100 billion won goes to fine arts. I aim to work on securing 500 billion won [for fine arts]. This year, I was appointed after all the budget decisions were made, but next year, I am going to secure and plan the budget under my road map. It may be difficult, but I think it would be foolish to run around day and night without being able to improve even one thing at this age. Please write this down, because then I’ll have to improve it no matter what. (laughs)

Minister Yu In-chon attends a literature on-site meeting on Nov. 27 at the Artist House in Jongno District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]

Is it true that you are establishing a Blue House foundation to build a culture complex within the grounds?

There is no better way than to establish a legal organization to properly operate the plan. I’m not saying that I’m going to make major changes regarding the Blue House, as it already has its own cultural values. I also think preserving its original features must be put as the No. 1 priority. I’m planning to preserve the desks and equipment that were used in the past at the secretary building and play videos of former presidents’ briefings at the Chunchugwan Press Center with opportunities for the public to experience the briefing situation. I want to recreate moments that actually happened in the Blue House in the old days.

What is one task you really want to solve during this term?

I heard requests to have a support program for startups in the cultural art field while meeting young people. They said that there are a lot of support programs for startups, but they couldn’t even get loans when they said they were doing art. The Korea Arts Management Service is doing a bit to help, but I plan to make more certain support connecting fine arts with the industry field. I believe that is one of the duties that I should fulfill.

BY YOO JU-HYUN [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]