After the implementation of local self-governing system, each city began to take an increasing interest in the construction of cultural city as a new developmental strategy. The strategy has been expanded since Roh Moo-hyun government started to promo...
After the implementation of local self-governing system, each city began to take an increasing interest in the construction of cultural city as a new developmental strategy. The strategy has been expanded since Roh Moo-hyun government started to promote the project for cultural city as a part of local balanced development policy. In this study, I have attempted to analyze the construction process of cultural city by means of the idea of spatial politics, because I noticed that the work of construction of cultural city in the Korean society proceeds in connection with the closely bound interests of diverse social forces. In this study, each city(Gwangju, Jeonju, and Bucheon) is classified as the central governmental type, the local centered-central supported type, and the local centered type respectively. This study has examined these cities' ways of creating implications for cultural city, main leading groups, and characteristics of the space of representation in relation to the interaction among the social forces. Here is the outcome of the study.
First, each region creates implications for cultural city in terms of economic aspects of culture. The main leading forces that are the central government, the local government, and the civil society have contended with each other for cultural enterprises, cultural arts, and cultural societies which are subordinate notions for a cultural city. Each has shown a tendency to accept specific discourses selectively according to their own interests. The discourse for cultural industry is the main discourse of the local state which can be regarded as the real implementing force in configurating the space in the region. The argument for cultural industry was employed as a main logic to sustain the argument for regional development and it has also obtained the consent of the civil society. In the region where the local state's leadership is powerful, there has been a weakness in critical understanding of the argument for cultural industry. On the contrary, in the central type like Gwangju, there have been active discourse struggle to create implications for cultural city. Their main claim came to be in part reflected in the comprehensive plans of the central government. This shows that the ideology and values of cultural city is under the influence of the political environment of the civil society. However, in the type where the local government's leadership is powerful, the civil associations have functioned as a mechanism to justify some of the local government's policies selectively.
Second, the points at issue in the process of construction of cultural city are the ideology of cultural city, leading forces, and mobilization of the resources for cultural city. The major discourse for each point at issue have been decided through conflicts and collaborations between central government and local state. In Gwangju where this project has been propelled as a part of national policy, the central government has tried to realize varied values for cultural city while the local state has intended to actualize some specific aspects of culture selectively. It has caused some conflicts between cultural values and local development. The conflicts have been shown as a leadership struggle concerning who takes the initiative in the construction of cultural city. In contrast, Jeonju(a local centered-central supported type) has attempted to incorporate the work of construction of cultural city which had been managed within the region into the project of national policy. It was intended to secure a stable device for the budget and the possible expansion of the project. In Bucheon(a local centered type), the local state has taken the lead in the overall process of the construction of cultural city. The resources for cultural city are local history, tradition, and culture. However, among them local tradition seems to be the common resource that has been incorporated into cultural city in each region.
Third, the representation of the core space of cultural city has been the object of spatial politics and thus caused the most acute conflict of interests. Each social force has displayed a tendency to monopolize the right to the appropriation, utilization and domination of the spaces. In the case of Asian Culture Complex in Gwangju, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the local state of Gwangju, and the civic groups have contended for the representation of cultural arts, economy, and historical symbolism respectively. In particular, the residents nearby the building site for Asian culture complex demonstrated strong desire to make use of it as a tourist attraction. Since Hanokmaeul in Jeonju is a kind of existing "given space", it functions as a space where the local cultural groups have joined together in making good use of the space. Sangdong Film and Culture Complex in Bucheon is considered as a planned space of the local state to foster cultural industry strategically. It is also a space for domination of capital. The logic passing through these core spaces, however, is in favor of a space of system for economic values rather than a space for cultural life.
Fourth, the construction of cultural city is the process of formation of regional identity through the medium of culture. The group heads of the local state have intended to utilize cultural city as a means of local development and formation of positive regional image. In this respect, the construction of cultural city in each region is characterized by "a project identity". The logic of "industry" prevails over that of "culture". The process of cultural city in which the logic of economy is dominating has given rise to competitions among regions. Each region tried to monopolize the cultural city. Thus it caused conflicts by opposing to central government's systematic support for other regions' similar plans for the construction of cultural city. After all, the common characteristics of the three types are that the local state is intending to take control over the directing and constructing of cultural city. The local state makes great account of economic values among varied values that culture has. As seen in the case of Gwangju, the argument for development is the major issue which gives rise to conflicts with central government. The civil society in each region, however, has much concern to holding the argument for development in check and claiming the cultural rights of citizens. There is still a possibility that the process of current construction of cultural city can be degraded to the creation of a space for new accumulation of capital and consumption rather than a space for the enhancement of cultural life of citizens. Therefore, the attempt at monopolizing specific aspects of culture in favor of specific forces and the tendency to incorporate the work of configuration of space into the interests of power and capital should be held in check. We should not overlook this point because we hope the construction of cultural city to be born again as a city space planning based on the life of citizens and cultural rights. This is the fundamental perspective on citizen-centered construction of cultural city. As a practical alternative proposal, it is necessary to define the roles of the main leading groups involved in the process of construction of cultural city, the ideology and values for cultural city. The local state should be the leading force to implement the plan for cultural city. The civil society should perform the role of producing in life the content and values which cultural city has to contain. The central government should be the provider of material resources. Moreover, the cultural city in each region should be regarded as a place of solidarity for cultural exchange and communication. It is expected that there will be competitions among participant forces in the construction of cultural city on the varied stratums such as culture and economy, culture and art, and culture and life, and so forth.