‘Culture Day’ is a representative cultural enjoyment policy that provides a variety of benefits, including discounted admission to movie theaters, performances and exhibitions, free or discounted admission to museums and art galleries, and nighttime opening of cultural facilities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Regional Culture Promotion Agency believe that there are limits to the daily enjoyment of culture with the existing once-a-month operation method and are pushing for expanded implementation.
Last year, the attendance rate for cultural events was recorded at 60.2%, of which 58% were on the occasion of ‘Culture Day’.
It was found that 15.01 million out of approximately 43 million people over the age of 15 benefited from the system. This figure shows that easing the price burden and improving accessibility are actually leading to increased cultural participation. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently analyzing the economic and social effects of expanding ‘Culture Day’ through the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, and the related results are scheduled to be made public in February. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to revise the enforcement ordinance of related laws within February, prepare for the first quarter, and implement an expanded form of ‘Culture Day’ starting in March.
Additionally, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council are considering introducing a ‘subscription movie pass’ to recover the stagnant film industry and increase demand for theater attendance.
This is a policy to encourage audiences to visit theaters by paying a certain monthly fee to use movie theaters. As an overseas example, the French Pathé movie chain operates a system that allows unlimited viewing at chain theaters nationwide for 20 euros per week, and the American AMC is implementing a subscription service that allows viewing of up to 4 movies per week for 20 to 28 dollars per month. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council are reviewing the design of the system with reference to these overseas cases and whether to reflect it in the budget with the goal of introducing it next year.