The 2025 Gyeongsangbuk-do wildfire, the largest single wildfire disaster in modern Korean history, revealed the increasing severity and frequency of climate-induced mega-disasters. As climate change accelerates, such extreme events are expected to occ...
The 2025 Gyeongsangbuk-do wildfire, the largest single wildfire disaster in modern Korean history, revealed the increasing severity and frequency of climate-induced mega-disasters. As climate change accelerates, such extreme events are expected to occur more often and on a larger scale. Nevertheless, current disaster policies in Korea remain heavily focused on physical restoration while the socio-cultural dimensions of recovery have yet to be systematically institutionalized. This study examines the theoretical significance of culture and the arts in post-disaster recovery and analyzes the response patterns of key domestic policy actors, including central, metropolitan, and local governments. The findings demonstrate that cultural policy is not a supplementary element of disaster response but rather a strategic component that can drive psychological healing, community rebuilding, identity restoration, and longterm regional regeneration. Based on these results, the study proposes six cultural policy directions and a set of detailed policy programs, highlighting the need for an integrated cultural-arts approach in future disaster recovery frameworks.