Minister Choi Hwi-young apologizes over sexual violence in traditional Korean music community; MCST to accept special reports through year-end

[Financial News] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) will accept special reports through year-end to assess sexual violence affecting the traditional Korean music community. It is also pursuing measures to bar people whose sexual violence offenses have been confirmed from performances, lectures and other activities.
In a post on social media on the 9th, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young said, “As the minister of the lead ministry responsible for protecting artists, I feel an immense sense of responsibility and sincerely apologize.” Choi spoke of the pain of those who suffered abuse while receiving instruction or preparing for performances but found it difficult to speak out, and expressed gratitude to those who had reported cases of abuse.
Minister Choi plans first to meet with figures in the traditional Korean music community who proposed the joint statement. He will then form a public-private task force (TF) to review practices in gugak education and at performance venues and develop measures to prevent a recurrence.
Special reports will be accepted through Artists’ Sinmungo, schools affiliated with MCST, and national and public arts organizations. MCST will verify the facts of reports it receives and add investigators to Artists’ Sinmungo. It also plans to establish a system under which investigators visit sites in person and conduct regular inspections.
Minister Choi said people whose offenses have been confirmed would be barred from performances, lectures, judging and hiring. He also cited a recent case in which MCST dismissed a member of one of its affiliated arts organizations after the member was fined for sexual harassment.
The handling of sexual violence cases in schools will be reviewed with education authorities. MCST will also develop measures to protect underage victims and plans to request a public-interest audit from the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) if necessary.
Anyone who has experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence related to artistic activities or arts education, or learned of such conduct, can report it to Artists’ Sinmungo, operated by the Korean Artists Welfare Foundation. If a third party files a report, an investigation can proceed only with the victim’s consent. The foundation provides affected artists with legal and psychological counseling and assistance with medical expenses.
On the 7th, the Emergency Action of Traditional Performing Arts Artists released the “Joint Statement on Sexual Violence in the Gugak Community,” proposed by 30 people, including professors and performers in the field. They said it was difficult to report abuse in a system where authority over admissions, hiring and performance bookings is concentrated. As of 9 a.m. on the 9th, more than 3,000 people had signed the statement. Signatures will be accepted through the 21st.
The statement’s proposers urged the government and relevant institutions to conduct a survey of conditions spanning schools and universities, private lessons, national and public organizations, and performance venues. They called for independent reporting and counseling channels so victims can report without going through the people who teach, evaluate or book them, and demanded that people with conflicts of interest be excluded from investigations. They also proposed procedures to check for and remedy disadvantages in education, employment or performance opportunities after a report is filed.
Minister Choi said, “There must be no more cases where perpetrators stay and victims leave,” adding that MCST would take the lead in creating an environment where people can learn, teach and perform on stage with peace of mind.
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter