WHY THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA INVESTS IN CREATIVITY
Globally, the cultural and creative industries are worth an estimated US$ 2,250 billion dollars. In the Republic of Korea, the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), or known locally as the content industry, have long played a vital role in sustained economic growth. In 1999, the “Framework Act on the Promotion of Cultural Industries” was enacted, laying the groundwork for the development and promotion of the cultural and creative industries both at home and abroad. Coined the “chimney-less industries” at the time, the CCIs have now become engines of economic development capable of generating high added value and remain a top priority for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. By 2018, over 650,000 Koreans were employed in the cultural and creative industries and the export of Korean cultural content was worth over 11 trillion won (US$ 9.5 billion). That same year, the annual growth rate of sales in cultural and creative industries grew nearly two times faster than the overall national rate of 2.7%. A significant spillover effect in certain industries, namely in K-pop and K-dramas, has also contributed to the industry’s lasting impact. It is estimated that for every US$ 100 in Korean cultural goods exported, another US$ 248 of related consumer goods are exported. In 2017, K-Pop music group BTS was solely responsible for 7.6 % of total foreign tourism.
While a valuable contributor to economic growth, the cultural and creative industries also play a pivotal role in social inclusion, cultural diversity and national identity. Cinema, music and art provide a glimpse into Korean culture and offer audiences new and diverse perspectives. In line with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, investments in the cultural and creative industries are also believed to be more sustainable and environmentally responsible than other traditional sectors. Through the UNESCO-KFIT partnership, the Republic of Korea is committed to promoting sustained and inclusive economic growth in developing countries through culture and creativity. The Republic of Korea seeks to draw on its own experiences with the creative economy to share lessons learned, to create an enabling environment for the development of cultural entrepreneurship and to support the design of informed and transparent public policy that strengthen the cultural and creative industries in developing countries.
UNESCO - REPUBLIC OF KOREA PARTNERSHIP
Mission: Strengthening cultural and creative sectors as engines for sustainable development in developing countries
Three Thematic Areas-(1) Buliding Skills, (2) Creating Networks, (3) Supporting Policy Design
Framework: The UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions (2005) is an international standardsetting instrument that recognizes the sovereign right of states to formulate and implement policies and measures that support the emergence of dynamic and diverse creative sectors.
BUILDING SKILLS
CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURS With annual global revenues of US$ 2,250 billion, the cultural and creative sectors provide nearly 30 million jobs worldwide and employ more people aged 15-29 than any other sector. These sectors are now major drivers of sustainable development, particularly in developing countries. Ensuring that artists and cultural professionals have the skills required to succeed in the creative economy is essential. UNESCO-KFIT has recognized this potential and is actively investing in projects that support creative entrepreneurship and capacity building. In Bangladesh, Pakistan, Uganda and Uzbekistan, cultural professionals have gained practical skills in creation, design and marketing as well as in business and management. As a result, cultural entrepreneurs have greater access to markets, distribution networks and international cooperation mechanisms.
CREATING NETWORKS
NETWORKING IS KEY TO SUCCESSFUL ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS RAISING Transparent and informed cultural policies call for the collaborative participation of a variety of actors, including governments and civil society. By bringing the concerns of different cultural actors to the attention of public authorities, civil society organizations (CSOs) contribute to greater transparency and accountability. Recognizing this fundamental role, UNESCO and KFIT encourage the active participation of CSOs in all levels of cultural policymaking. Through its projects in Lao PDR, Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region, UNESCO-KFIT is strengthening policy advocacy by creating networking opportunities, where cultural actors can collaborate and form partnerships. Such opportunities support information sharing, knowledge transfer and foster innovation. This also includes expanding and diversifying UNESCO’s Expert Facility, which provides advisory technical assistance to countries across the globe.
SUPPORTING POLICY DESIGN
MONITORING IS INDISPENSABLE TO ENSURING POLICIES MEET THE CULTURE SECTOR’S NEEDS
By monitoring the implementation of cultural policies, countries can assess the state of their creative sectors, evaluate goals and identify priority areas for future action. As signatories to the 2005 Convention, governments have committed to gathering and reporting on policies and measures that protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions.
Periodic reporting has become particularly important in countries that lack mechanisms and monitoring frameworks to evaluate their cultural policies. Cooperation between stakeholders is essential to ensuring the accuracy of the data collected. It is also key in determining whether policies and measures are supporting the intended cultural actors and sectors. UNESCO- KFIT is working to ensure that these monitoring processes and other assessments are carried out in a participatory manner with all concerned cultural actors. Recognizing that policies to support the culture sector involve multiple government agencies, UNESCO-KFIT supports inter-ministerial cooperation to ensure the sustainability of its actions.
DIGITAL CREATIVITY LAB
The UNESCO Korea Funds-in-Trust (KFIT) for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries has, for over a decade, invested in the development of creative sectors. Building on this momentum and fully embracing the expanding digital environment, KFIT is now shifting its focus toward supporting cultural entrepreneurship in the digital era. In June 2017, new Operational Guidelines on digital issues were adopted by Parties to the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, to support Parties in meeting the challenges and seize the opportunities offered by the digital environment.
An Open Roadmap was elaborated as a flexible framework offering concrete expected results and a range of reference activities to protect the means of creation, production, dissemination, access, and exchange of cultural goods and services in the face of rapid technological changes. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the digital transformation of the cultural and creative industries, creating both unprecedented challenges and opportunities for the protection and promotion of diverse cultural expressions at national, regional and global levels.
With this in mind, UNESCO-KFIT will be launching a new initiative: Digital Creativity Lab, to address the digital skills shortages in the cultural and creative industries in developing countries. Inspired by its own Content Korea Lab, the Digital Creativity Lab will support training programmes that strengthen digital skills and competencies in the cultural and creative sectors and encourage full participation in adapting the cultural value chain. To further strengthen regional cooperation, particular attention will be paid to developing countries. Beneficiaries will be encouraged to conduct mappings of the digital cultural and creative sectors, to establish multistakeholder national teams combining government officials, private sector and civil society organizations, as well as to organize country-wide consultations. Following the identification of gaps in digital skills and available resources in the cultural and creative sectors, beneficiaries will also be encouraged to organize training programmes in partnership with universities or institutions in order to mobilize resources, capitalize on networks and ensure sustainability. To meet the challenges specific to the digital environment, beneficiaries will be encouraged to also organize policy consultations, round tables and workshops. Through targeted support to cultural and creative industries in the digital era, KFIT is helping developing countries achieve their digital creative future.