Challenges and strategies of local cultural cluster promotion policies in Korea

An evaluation of the 5-year performance of the eight designated Korean cities as (or as the candidates for) local cultural industrial complexes shows a creation/relocation of cultural industrial firms at least to some degree. But the expectation of specialisation was not satisfied. Most firms were home-grown, with a weak linkage to those in Seoul. This was not only the case in small cities, but also in large metropolitan cities. The distance from Seoul was a more influential factor in the intensity of the linkage than the size of cities. This paper strategically suggests the four types of evolutionary paths of local cultural clusters for realistic goal setting. Non-local networks are also emphasised.