Culture Ministry overhauls hiring process for national arts leadership

In a significant policy shift, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a sweeping overhaul of how leaders of national arts organizations are selected. The ministry will replace the long-standing, opaque recommendation-based system with an open and publicly accountable recruitment process — an approach it describes as “radical.”

“We’re introducing an open recruitment process for national arts organizations, which we believe is quite radical,” said First Vice Minister Yong Ho-seong during a press conference Thursday. He noted that the current system lacks clear rules, with many leadership appointments made through informal channels. This lack of transparency, he added, has often led to controversies surrounding certain appointments as well as leadership vacancies, both of which have disrupted institutional planning and day-to-day operations.

Under the new framework, any qualified individual will be allowed to apply for leadership positions through a public call. The ministry aims to expand opportunities and attract a broader, more diverse pool of candidates with proven artistic and managerial capabilities.

One of the core innovations in the revised process is a new public evaluation system. Candidates will be invited to present their long-term vision and operational plans before a publicly assembled review panel. This panel will include both professional evaluators with decision-making authority and observers from relevant fields who can pose questions and provide descriptive feedback, which will inform the final selection.

The new system also introduces an early appointment structure. Going forward, the selection process for new leaders will begin roughly a year before the current term ends, with the aim of completing appointments at least six months ahead of the official start date. This is intended to give incoming leaders enough time to prepare for their role and contribute to programming decisions, which are often made a year in advance.

The ministry plans to implement the new system starting in June. Positions with less than one year remaining in the current term will be publicly announced, with the application and public vetting process carried out through the summer. Final appointments are expected to be made by early fall.

Shin Eun-hyang, director general of art policies at the Culture Ministry, said during the press conference that she has long been aware of recruitment challenges. She added that now is the right time to introduce the new policy, as 12 out of 17 national arts institutions are set to appoint new leaders around the same time.

Positions such as the artistic directors of the National Opera, Ballet, Contemporary Dance and art groups under the National Gugak Center, as well as heads of major institutions such as the Seoul Arts Center and the National Jeongdong Theater, will fall under this new system.

The ministry also announced plans to establish and operate new National Youth Arts Troupes in regional areas, aiming to both nurture emerging talent and decentralize access to cultural opportunities beyond the capital.

These include the National Youth Traditional Performing Arts Troupe in Busan; National Youth Dance Company in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province; National Symphony Concert Orchestra in Sejong and National Youth Theater Company in Wonju, Gangwon Province.

The National Youth Arts Troupes will offer one-year seasonal contracts to artists aged 39 and under, with the goal of expanding stage opportunities for young performers and strengthening the foundation for next-generation talent across the country.