Ordinances Related to Disabled Artists

The enactment of ordinances to support the artistic activities of disabled artists began in 2012.

The first such ordinance was established in Geoje City, Gyeongsangnamdo, which enacted the “Ordinance on the Promotion of Cultural Arts for the Disabled.”
By July 2016, only 11 ordinances had been enacted (E Miji Issue 2, 2016). However, following the enactment of the “Act on Support for Cultural and Artistic Activities of Disabled Artists” in 2020, the number of ordinances has surged.

According to the search for ordinances related to cultural and artistic activities for disabled individuals at the National Law Information Center, there are 69 ordinances across 17 provinces and cities as of July 24, 2021. The distribution is as follows.

Gyeonggi Province has the highest number with 13 ordinances, followed by Chungcheongnam-do with 6, and Gangwon-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeollabukdo, Jeollanam-do, Gwangju, and Incheon each with 5. The number of ordinances related to disabled artists will continue to increase steadily.

Support System for Disabled Artists 

In accordance with Article 9 (2) of the “Act on Support for Cultural and Artistic Activities of Disabled Artists” (Priority Purchase of the Works by Disabled Artists), national agencies, local governments, and public institutions are required to purchase at least 3% of the creative works they acquire each year from disabled artists.

These creative works can include handicrafts, performances, and artworks (paintings, sculptures, photographs, calligraphy, murals, media art, etc.).

Additionally, according to Article 15 (2) of the “Culture and Arts Promotion Act” (Support for Cultural and Artistic Activities of Disabled Individuals), the venues and galleries of national and public cultural facilities must implement a ‘mandatory annual performance and exhibition system for disabled artists’ at least once a year.

The ‘priority purchase system of the works by disabled artists’ and the ‘mandatory annual performance and exhibition system for disabled artists’ have been in effect since 2023, but have yet to become fully operational, resulting in relatively low participation from disabled artists.