Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: "Record-High K-Content Exports and Inbound Tourists... Achievements in First Year of Government of National Sovereignty"

Leisure Satisfaction Rate at 64%, Sports Participation at 63%
First Quarter Box Office Revenue Up 58.7% to 318 Billion Won
Measures Introduced Against Illegal Content Distribution and Ticket Scalping

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on June 2 that over the past year since the launch of the Government of National Sovereignty, there have been significant achievements in the fields of culture, content, and tourism, such as recording the highest-ever K-content exports and the largest number of inbound foreign tourists to Korea.

Last year, K-content exports reached a record high of 14.9 billion dollars, while the number of inbound foreign tourists to Korea hit an all-time high of 18.94 million. In addition, the national leisure satisfaction rate reached 64%, the highest since the survey began in 2016. The Ministry stated that these tangible results stemmed from major policies pursued over the past year based on communication with the public and on-site industries.

To foster K-content as a national strategic industry, the Ministry is expanding policy financing support. The Culture and Film account of the Fund of Funds, which forms the foundation for the growth of the content industry, is being established this year at a record scale of 731.8 billion won. In addition, the Global League Fund, based on overseas capital, is being promoted at a scale of 150 billion won. The Ministry also introduced a new tax credit for webtoon production costs in January this year and extended the sunset date for video content production cost tax credits until 2028, thereby strengthening the content industry’s growth base.

Active measures are being sought to address chronic problems in the cultural industry, such as illegal content distribution and ticket scalping in performances and sports. With the revision of the Copyright Act, the Performance Act, and the National Sports Promotion Act passing the National Assembly in January, emergency blocking and access blocking systems for illegal content have been implemented. Additionally, a punitive damages system for copyright property rights infringement and a fine system imposing penalties 50 times the value of scalped tickets are set to take effect in August this year.

The film industry is showing signs of recovery thanks to the government’s emergency support measures. In the first quarter of this year, box office revenue reached 318 billion won, and the number of moviegoers was 31.9 million, up 58.7% and 53.2%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Through the supplementary budget, the Ministry expanded support for mid-budget film production from 10 billion won last year to 46 billion won this year and is also strengthening support for independent and art films as well as advanced production.

Clear achievements have also been observed in the tourism sector. Last year, Korea welcomed a record 18.94 million inbound foreign tourists, and tourism exports reached an all-time high of 27.2 billion dollars. As of April this year, the cumulative number of inbound tourists stood at 6.77 million, an increase of 21% compared to the same period last year. The Ministry attributed this growth to policies such as temporary visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists, expansion of multiple-entry visas, and simplified entry procedures for international conference participants.

The Ministry emphasized that the Government of National Sovereignty has put forward significant issues that can bring about changes in the tourism industry through the "National Tourism Strategy Meeting," which has been held twice since its launch to foster the tourism industry as a national strategic industry. In particular, with the amendment of the "Tourism Basic Act" in April, the National Tourism Strategy Meeting has been elevated to an organization under the President, which is expected to further strengthen cross-ministerial cooperation for tourism promotion.

The Ministry is also strengthening regional tourism competitiveness by developing tourism courses linking drama and film shooting locations with tourism resources, fostering local festivals, and revitalizing regional airports. Notably, in the first quarter of this year, the number of arrivals at regional airports increased by 49% compared to the same period last year, demonstrating the potential for revitalizing regional tourism.

Policies to expand opportunities for cultural enjoyment are also yielding results. Since April this year, "Culture Day" has been expanded and reorganized into "Culture Wednesday," held every Wednesday. Support for public library cultural clubs and humanities programs, as well as reading programs at local bookstores, has also been significantly increased. The touring performance and exhibition program "This Is Coming to Our Neighborhood Too" has expanded from 583 events last year to 936 events this year, contributing to narrowing regional cultural gaps.

The subsidy for the Culture Nuri Card has been raised to 150,000 won this year, while the Youth Culture and Arts Pass provides up to 200,000 won for youth residing outside the metropolitan area. The sports incentive program "Strong Money" has also doubled its budget and aims to attract 700,000 participants nationwide.

Thanks to the effects of these policies, the national leisure satisfaction rate last year reached a record high of 64%. The rate of participation in sports activities reached 62.9%, the highest in the past five years, and the total attendance at professional sports events reached a record 17.83 million. The regional gap in attendance at cultural and artistic events also decreased to its lowest level in the past five years.

Choi Hwiyeong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Over the past year since the launch of the Government of National Sovereignty, the Ministry has focused on on-site communication, building the foundation for a strong cultural nation, driving future growth for K-culture, and expanding opportunities to enjoy culture in everyday life." He added, "In line with the spirit of a government rooted in national sovereignty, we will faithfully prepare for the second year so that the public can feel the impact of our policies even more rapidly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.