Cultural Circles Denounce 'Parachute Appointments,' Demand Professionalism and Principles

The Hankyoreh, a newspaper committed to progressive values and a critical examination of power, views the recent appointments in the cultural and arts sector with deep concern. The article highlights the widespread discontent among 65 organizations and 794 cultural figures, who have united to demand an immediate cessation of what they perceive as unilateral and principle-less personnel decisions by the current administration. This broad coalition, which has previously been vocal against political suppression and biased appointments under past administrations, now finds the current government's actions equally, if not more, problematic.

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The Lee Jae-myung administration must immediately stop the unilateral personnel actions that undermine the professionalism and trust of culture and arts, and establish and disclose clear standards and principles for personnel appointments in public cultural and arts institutions.

The core of the criticism lies in the perceived disregard for professionalism and public interest. Appointments such as a comedian to lead the National Jeongdong Theater, a historian to head the King Sejong Institute, and a food columnist to direct the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, all individuals known for their political support of the President, raise serious questions about the selection criteria. While acknowledging that these individuals may possess some relevant background, the article stresses that their suitability as the *most* expert candidates is widely doubted.

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The current personnel trend will inevitably lead to the collapse of trust in overall cultural and arts policy.

From our perspective at the Hankyoreh, this situation is particularly troubling because the cultural and arts fields are rich with seasoned professionals who have dedicated their careers to their respective domains. The government's approach appears to sideline these experts in favor of political expediency and personal connections. This not only undermines the autonomy and expertise of the cultural sector but also risks damaging the credibility of cultural policies in the long run. We urge the administration to heed these warnings, which come from a diverse and experienced group, and to establish transparent and principled guidelines for all future appointments.

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The government must take the criticisms arising from the cultural and arts community, which have emerged less than a year into its term, seriously and establish personnel principles that can be accepted by all citizens.