Gwangju, Jeonnam Kicks Off Efforts to Become a "Cultural Sovereignty City" Created by Citizens

Global Economic Times Reporter

korocamia@naver.com | 2026-10-23 18:13:07

The Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special Self-Governing City held the 1st meeting of the "Cultural Sovereignty System Establishment Task Force" at the Gwangju Government Complex on the 23rd. The meeting brought together representatives from the arts and culture sector, civil society, academia, and cultural foundations to discuss ways to establish public-private cooperation for citizen-participatory cultural policies.

The task force is composed of field experts from various sectors, including officials from the Jeonnam Gwangju Cultural Foundation, as well as those specialized in regional cultural policies, cultural space operations, and village cultural community activities.

The meeting focused on combining policy expertise and field experience to reflect regional cultural conditions and devise actionable plans that connect citizens' proposals directly to actual policies and projects. Core initiatives discussed included the establishment and operation of the Cultural Sovereignty Committee, the creation of a citizen culture office, the promotion of cultural autonomy villages, and the establishment of cultural living spheres.

The basic framework of an ordinance to institutionally support citizens' participation in cultural policies and public deliberation results was also reviewed. Based on the opinions gathered at the meeting, the city plans to formulate implementation plans and draft ordinances for each project, solidifying an execution system where public participation and deliberation results translate into tangible policies.

Jeon Sun-hee, Director of the Integrated City's Cultural City Policy Division, stated, "A cultural sovereignty city is a city where citizens act as co-creators and executors of cultural policy. We will build a Jeonnam Gwangju-style cultural sovereignty model to ensure that citizens' voices connect to policies and that everyone can enjoy everyday culture anywhere in the region."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]

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