Governor Park Soo-hyun of South Chungcheong Province attended the '2026 Chungnam Provincial Citizens' Culture Day Ceremony and Living Culture Festival' held at the outdoor stage of the Boryeong Culture Hall on the 17th, expressing his gratitude to the cultural center officials who have protected local culture and pledging his commitment to supporting the vitalization of cultural centers.

Hosted and organized by the South Chungcheong Provincial Federation of Cultural Centers, the event was designed to honor the hard work of individuals who have contributed to the development of local culture and to provide provincial residents with diverse opportunities to enjoy arts and culture.

Attended by approximately 500 people—including Governor Park, the Mayor of Boryeong, provincial and municipal assembly members, heads of city and county cultural centers, and cultural center members—the event featured the declaration of the Chungnam Provincial Citizens' Cultural Rights, an awards ceremony for meritorious individuals, celebratory performances, and awards for the living culture festival.

A total of 30 commendations were awarded at the event to organizations and individuals who have dedicated themselves to the development of local culture.

This year’s Chungnam Cultural Center Grand Prize was awarded to the Dangjin Cultural Center, while three individuals—Kwak Seung-il, Secretary-General of the Cheonan Dongnam-gu Cultural Center; Yoo Byung-gyo, Vice President of the Buyeo Cultural Center; and Ahn Eun-seon, General Affairs Manager of the Taean Cultural Center—received commendations from the Governor.

Held alongside the ceremony, the living culture festival featured performances, exhibitions, and hands-on programs by provincial living culture clubs, followed by team awards and celebratory performances.

The province plans to continue discovering and preserving local historical and living culture resources, connecting them to various cultural activities such as education, experiences, and performances to expand cultural enjoyment opportunities for residents.

In addition, the province intends to support the discovery of local culture, cultural lectures, and living culture activities, as well as efforts to improve the activity spaces of cultural centers so that they can faithfully perform their roles as local cultural hubs.

At the event, Governor Park remarked, "Cultural centers are places that remember the lives of residents and connect them to local culture. They preserve precious modern and contemporary oral histories, folk songs, pungmul, and folk rituals that form our hometown's life and history, and they unite local residents through the same rhythms and stories while exploring cultural heritage. The province will actively support our 16 cultural centers so that they can once again become the center of our lives."

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