Seoul Metropolitan Government guarantees equal opportunities for all Seoul citizens to learn and receive systematic education in culture and arts throughout their lives based on the “Seoul City Cultural and Arts Education Support Ordinance”. In 2018, the first basic plan for Seoul City’s cultural and arts education was established, which pursued three strategies and nine core tasks. As the plan’s term came to an end, the city initiated a preliminary study to establish the second basic plan.

To establish the second basic plan, an analysis of the progress and operational status of Seoul’s cultural and arts education policies was conducted, and challenges were identified. The study also aimed to understand the future environmental changes in cultural and arts education and the demand for cultural and arts education among Seoul citizens to suggest the direction of Seoul’s cultural and arts education policies and explore policy directions for promoting cultural and arts education.

The research was conducted through collaborative efforts among the Seoul Institute, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. The team organised seminars, forums, and discussions with experts and stakeholders in cultural and arts education to collect diverse opinions and perspectives for policy direction debates.

The first basic plan for Seoul City’s cultural and arts education established the foundation for its implementation, especially in developing quality and demand-driven content planning and development in school-based cultural and arts education. The second basic plan highlighted the need to strengthen the cultural and arts education system at the local government (district) level, develop a sustainable ecosystem, and expand cultural and arts education to the general public who have been excluded.

Therefore, the study proposed “Qualitative Innovation and Systematic Enhancement of Seoul Cultural and Arts Educatio” as the goal of the second basic plan. The goal further included three main strategies and objectives: “Exp anding Seoul-style Cultural and Arts Education”, “Expanding Demand-Driven Cultural and Arts Education”, and “Enhancing Policy-Based Holistic Implementation”.