Culture ministry creates temporary unit for Asian cultural city project

The culture ministry said Friday it has created a temporary organization to systematically implement the Asian Cultural Center City project and support the operations of the presidential committee overseeing the initiative.

The move comes as the government seeks to stabilize support for the Presidential Committee on the Creation of an Asian Cultural Center City and ensure the systematic execution of the broader development project, according to the revised decree.

The new Asia Cultural Center City Promotion Team will operate within the ministry's Culture and Arts Policy Office until August 31, 2028. Led by a fourth-grade official, the unit includes three additional civil servants at the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Its mandate covers coordinating master plans, supporting the National Asia Culture Center and its foundation, fostering regional cultural industries, drafting investment strategies, and promoting eco-friendly urban culture and citizen participation.

Separately, the ministry added one sixth-grade official to strengthen capacity for protecting personal information. This addition addresses the rapid increase in large-scale, high-risk personal data processing driven by the deepening use of artificial intelligence, the expansion of cloud computing, and the transition to a platform economy. The extra staff is tasked with responding swiftly to data leaks and cyber intrusions targeting government information systems.

These changes bring the ministry's total staff count from 759 to 760, with the general service category rising from 752 to 753 and officials at the third grade or below increasing from 667 to 668.