Gyeonggi artists launch signature campaign over reduced 'opportunity income'

Artists in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, have launched a signature campaign to protest potential cuts to the provincial government's "opportunity income" policy for artists. The policy, designed to recognize the social value of artistic activities, is facing an uncertain future for its second payment installment, raising concerns among recipients.

Initially introduced by former Governor Kim Dong-yeon in 2023, the policy provides up to 1.5 million won annually to artists who hold an "arts activity certificate" and fall below 120% of the standard poverty line. The province and its cities share the costs, with 28 cities participating. While the first payment of 750,000 won has been disbursed, the allocation of the remaining 750,000 won is contingent on supplementary budget approvals, which remain undecided.

The Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Federation for Arts and Culture (Gyeonggi Minyechong) began collecting online signatures on August 3rd, which will continue until August 11th. They plan to present the collected signatures to the current Governor, Choo Mi-ae, on August 12th, requesting a meeting to discuss their concerns. Artists are worried about a "half-payment" scenario, citing a significant decrease in the allocated budget for this year.

Last year, the program utilized 16.096 billion won for 10,731 artists. This year, the secured budget is only 10.584 billion won. Gyeonggi Minyechong criticized the provincial government's stance, stating, "If the budget is planned with supplementary funding and then stated as difficult due to financial constraints during the execution phase, how can artists trust Gyeonggi Province's policies?" They are demanding the allocation of funds for the second payment, the institutionalization of basic income for artists, and open consultations with the arts community.

A Gyeonggi Province official confirmed that the first payment is proceeding normally and that discussions regarding the supplementary budget are ongoing. However, the artists remain concerned about the provincial government's recent move to restructure expenditures, amounting to approximately 770 billion won, which has cast further doubt on the restoration of the art funding.

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If the budget is planned with supplementary funding and then stated as difficult due to financial constraints during the execution phase, how can artists trust Gyeonggi Province's policies?