On the 25th in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a group from the Korean traditional music community held a press conference opposing administrative control at the National Gugak Center and expressed their stance on the controversy surrounding the appointment of a new director. These individuals have criticized Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon’s comments about a monopoly by alumni from specific schools, accusing him of attempting to divide the community with distorted facts.
The National Gugak Center has been without a director since June of the previous year, and the appointment process is ongoing. After an initial public recruitment process resulted in no appointments, the position — previously only open to private candidates — was changed to allow civil servants to apply, following a presidential decree amendment. This change has led to suspicions within the traditional music community that it was made to benefit Yu Byeong-chae, Director of the Ministry of Culture’s National Communication Office.
Kim Young-woon, the former director of the National Gugak Center, argued that the director’s position requires expertise in traditional music, which an administrative officer cannot match. He suggested that the appointment of civil servants to critical roles at the center reduces it to merely an administrative entity.
Minister Yu was also criticized for stating that graduates from Seoul National University’s Department of Korean Music have monopolized the directorship of the center for the past 30 years. It was pointed out that historically, there were few other educational institutions offering relevant programs, thus explaining the prevalence of Seoul National graduates in these roles.
Further, the Emergency Measures Council criticized Minister Yu’s suggestion of halting the appointment process if a survey showed over 80% opposition to a civil servant director, labeling it as an impromptu measure without legal basis.
The press conference was attended by various figures from the Korean traditional music field, including past directors and professors, emphasizing the community’s unified stance against the decision.