More companies partnered with art organizations through the Korean Business Council for the Arts this year than last year.

A total of 83 companies sealed relationships with various art organizations on Wednesday at Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater in Pil-dong, central Seoul.

Participants at the ceremony included Choe Kwang-shik, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Park Young-ju, head of the Korean Business Council for the Arts. 

Contributions from 23 large businesses totaled 3 billion won ($2.65 million), the same amount as last year. The number of small and medium companies that participated in the matching fund program, on the other hand, increased from 50 to 60, as did their contribution from 1.5 billion won to 1.8 billion won.

“Various patronage activities are developing into a cooperative relationship between the companies and art organizations. They are a result of successful examples of emotional marketing and creative business management,” said the PR official at Korean Business Council for the Arts.

Large companies included in the list for the first time this year are Shinhan Card and Lotte Department Store. Shinhan Card has been supporting Seoul Spring International Festival of Chamber Music, one of the country’s most significant classical music events, and Lotte Department Store has been supporting Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.

On the small and medium company front, 28 companies are newly participating in the matching fund program, including Cesco, Osstem Implant and Angel Music. The matching fund program, which was only open to small and medium companies, expanded to include larger companies this year to encourage more support from a wider range of enterprises.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)