Choir shares achievements in local arts education, original performances and civic engagement
Proposes national youth choral music theater festival drawing on Jirisan, Chunhyang and Heungbu
The Namwon Municipal Youth Choir announced Monday that it will participate in the 2026 First Korean Choral Policy Forum, to be held at 3 p.m. Saturday in Seminar Room 3 of the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The choir will present the educational and social roles that children's and youth choirs play in depopulating regions, along with case studies on revitalizing local culture.
The forum is organized around the theme "Social Value of Choral Activities and Strategies for Regional and Educational Development," and is designed to elevate choral music's contributions to intergenerational communication, community recovery and arts education into formal policy proposals. About 150 participants from the National Assembly, academia, regional cultural organizations and the choral community are expected to attend to discuss on-the-ground cases and policy challenges.
Kim Jong-hee, artistic director and principal conductor of the Namwon Municipal Youth Choir, has been selected to present a best-practice case on the theme "The Role of Children's and Youth Choirs in Improving Settlement Conditions in Depopulating Regions." The presentation will argue that youth choirs should be viewed not merely as performance groups but as local arts education institutions, talent development foundations and civic community hubs.
In his presentation, Kim will propose six priorities for the sustainable operation of youth choirs. These include formal recognition as local arts education institutions, the establishment of cooperative frameworks between schools and cultural organizations, joint productions and touring performances among depopulating regions, support for original performances drawing on local cultural resources, and systematic documentation and evaluation of activities.
For Namwon's long-term vision, Kim will propose a national youth choral music theater festival drawing on the natural environment of Jirisan and local cultural assets such as the classic tales "Chunhyangjeon" and "Heungbujeon." The concept envisions children and youth from across the country gathering in Namwon to create and perform music theater works — combining choral singing, acting and dance — based on the region's traditional stories.
Through this initiative, the plan is to develop the Namwon Municipal Youth Choir into a center for local youth arts education and a national exchange platform, with a long-term goal of expanding into an international youth music theater festival open to arts organizations from home and abroad. The proposal also outlines the potential for a Namwon-style cultural policy model connecting youth arts education, tourism and the performing arts content industry.
"To keep children from leaving their hometowns, simply asking them to stay is not enough," Kim said. "We have to show them concrete possibilities — that they can receive a quality education in their own region, discover their talents and connect with a wider world."
"Children's and youth choirs are music education institutions that help young people dream within their communities and pursue those dreams," he added. "They are communities that connect generations and citizens, and creative hubs that transform local stories into new cultural content. When choral activities accumulate over time, they can become a genuine regional policy that improves settlement conditions in depopulating areas."
Meanwhile, the forum's findings will be compiled into a policy proposal document and incorporated into the policy sessions and follow-up projects of the 2027 Korean Choral Symposium and Korean Choral Festival.
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