Democratic Party leader meets young filmmakers in Gwangju, stresses role of independent cinema

Criticizes scaled-back DMZ documentary festival as 'breach of public trust'

Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok delivers congratulatory remarks at a ceremony marking the eighth anniversary of the Pyongyang Joint Declaration and the inter-Korean military agreement, held at the National Assembly members' office building on Friday. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok delivers congratulatory remarks at a ceremony marking the eighth anniversary of the Pyongyang Joint Declaration and the inter-Korean military agreement, held at the National Assembly members' office building on Friday. [Yonhap]

Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok met young filmmakers in Gwangju on Saturday — National Youth Day — and said a thriving regional cultural ecosystem must accompany any push for "locally led growth," emphasizing the role of independent cinema in building that foundation.

Kim also criticized the recent partial scaling-back of the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, calling it a breach of moral and contractual duty by a responsible public body, while continuing his public friction with Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae ahead of a budget policy consultation with the province scheduled for Monday.

Speaking at a roundtable with young filmmakers at the Gwangju Independent Movie Theater in Dong-gu, Gwangju, Kim said he believed independent film carried great significance as a foundation for local culture. "We talk a lot about locally led growth and a locally led economy — and shouldn't that be grounded in locally led politics and locally led culture as well?" he said.

Before the roundtable, Kim watched "Last Summer," an independent film depicting everyday rural life. "So many young people grow up in cities that simply seeing what the countryside looks like has become rare," he said. "In that sense, independent film is something that can capture the stories of the regions."

He added that Gwangju and South Jeolla Province were areas undergoing significant change — including potential administrative integration, new investment and industrial development — and expressed hope that cultural conditions and access to culture across the region would find their footing amid that transformation.

Kim also referenced the "Lumière Declaration," one of the diplomatic achievements of President Lee Jae Myung's summit diplomacy, and noted that commentator Jo Gap-je had proposed encouraging all citizens to write their own memoirs. "That has meaning," Kim said. "We need to rethink independent investment aimed at broadening the cultural horizons of ordinary citizens."

On Gyeonggi Province's decision to scale back the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival citing fiscal constraints, Kim said it amounted to a contract breach. "A responsible public body has committed an act of moral and contractual destruction," he said. "In that respect, I think there is a problem."

Kim has been at odds with Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, a hardline Democratic Party figure, after she recently launched a direct attack on President Lee. Kim criticized her remarks and said he would look into the consulting fees from her election campaign. The Democratic Party is set to hold a budget policy consultation with Gyeonggi Province on Monday.


th5@heraldcorp.com