The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it will merge the Gugak Broadcasting Foundation and the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation to build a stronger base for promoting "gugak," or traditional Korean music, and other traditional arts. The move is part of a government plan announced Sept. 3 to reform the functions of public institutions, under which bodies with overlapping roles are to be merged or reorganized. The Gugak Broadcasting Foundation, which operates the radio station Gugak FM, has worked to distribute gugak content and make the genre more accessible to the public through broadcasting. The Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation, established in 2007, has supported the creation and production of traditional performing arts and trained professionals in the field, while working to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy such performances. By combining the two organizations, the ministry aims to make its policies more efficient and provide comprehensive support for the promotion and spread of gugak and traditional arts. The ministry expects the