The culture impact assessment introduced in 2013 by framework act on culture. The cultural impact assessment system refers to a system in which the government and local governments identify and consider the impact on the quality of life of the people in terms of culture when they formulate plans or policies. The purpose of system enhances the social value by culture. Central and local governments have to conduct the cultural impact assessment before establishing the policy.
Government operated pilot assessment period from 2014 and to 2015. The official assessment began in 2016. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has a same issue. The Seoul Metropolitan Government developed the index for cultural impact assessment in 2015. The Seoul Metropolitan Government passed the city ordinance about cultural city and conducting the assessment, independently. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is not actively utilizing the policy. The Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted two evaluations in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government stand at the crossroads to activate the assessment. One is to use and fit the framework of central government. And the other is to create the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s own style. The Seoul Metropolitan Government does not need to prepare the method, independently, as the Seoul Metropolitan Government follows the central government. Since most of the cultural impact assessments are based on cultural city projects, it is difficult for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which does not carry out the cultural impact assessment. If the Seoul Metropolitan Government establish the Seoul Metropolitan Government‘s own plan or policy by the law, the Seoul Metropolitan Government should create a pre-assessment frame.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government need to improve purpose of assessment and index for creating the own system. Unlike the central government, which aims to spread cultural values, the Seoul Metropolitan Government should adjust its cultural aspects to assess the impact on citizens' quality of life and cultural diversity. The Seoul Metropolitan Government should adjust to a system that measures daily life, community, diversity, etc. based on the original cultural concepts. The evaluation targets shall be based on the quality of life of citizens and their impact on the community. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that evaluations are made when various plans and policies are implemented. In addition, cultural impact assessment should be naturally spread to general policies by providing incentives for continuous education of civil servants and policies that implement the assessment. Based on the above information, the report presents the actual conditions of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's cultural impact assessment and measures to implement it.