Relief for Korean performing and visual arts
- Direct support for artists and cultural professionals
- Commissioning and purchase of works
- Social benefits
- Support for sectors of the cultural and creative industries
- Stimulating demand
The Republic of Korea has adopted sectoral measures to address the impact of COVID-19.
Performing Arts:
The Performing arts industry was designated as a special employment support business category by the Ministry of Labor (16 March), so that the sector’s 18,535 people in 4,432 businesses can benefit from paid leave (up to 90% of their pay) and are guaranteed to get their job back once the crisis is over. Subsidies for venue rental fees (up to US$12k per organization, total of US$3.3 million, production budgets (110 shows, US$4.6 million), and grants for streaming online performance (15 shows, $U S246 0000) are funded by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST). The MCST will also launch a promotional campaign on COVID-19 subsides by offering discount vouchers. Vouchers worth US$7 per person will be provided on each booking site with a total budget of US$11 million to can cover 1.44 million audience members.
Visual Arts:
To address liquidity issues in the arts market, Arts Council Korea widened the eligibility criteria for exhibition grants from private museums to include galleries while increasing the dedicated budget from US$ 1.3 million to US$ 2.1 million to benefit 56 additional organizations. The government also advanced the annual purchase of artworks for its collections to be displayed in government and public institutions (“Art Bank”) by shortening the evaluation process.
(See: Korean response to COVID)