More cultural assets to be digitized

The Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday it would push for concrete steps to grow the economy and digitize the way cultural assets are used and promoted, ahead of the enactment of a new law on heritage management.

Nurturing cultural heritage-related startups while incentivizing ordinary Koreans to make more frequent visits to cultural sites are some of the priorities, the culture agency said in a press statement. Legislative support will be provided to make that happen, it added.

Next up on the to-do list is to digitize the way cultural assets are used by creating a platform where more people can see how cultural heritage is promoted, and float proposals for better management of cultural heritage.

“We are also seeking a wider appreciation of our cultural heritage by the disabled, seniors and people with multicultural backgrounds,” the agency said, noting that educating the public about the role cultural heritage plays in bonding community members will take place more frequently.

The latest move comes as the agency prepares for a law that comes into effect in May next year, which would change the way the country handles cultural assets, or “properties.” The term, which has been in use since 1962, has been dropped from the new Basic Law on National Heritage.

The new law uses the term “cultural heritage” in place of “cultural properties,” reflecting a shift in the way the country thinks of culture.

“Heritage speaks to a sense of continuity, more so than properties, which don’t seem to convey lasting qualities,” an official at the agency said. “The law is a start of many changes to come,” the official noted without elaborating.

The agency added that it will also back efforts to repatriate Korean cultural assets scattered overseas while sending over “civilian experts” who can help raise the country’s global profile by promoting Korean cultural heritage abroad.

A ceremony will take place Friday to mark the official unveiling of the new vision for cultural heritage, with the CHA officials, lawmakers on the culture committee and culture experts expected to attend the event.