Culture Ministry Expands Youth Sports Activity Budget to Support Healthy Development

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will significantly expand support for sports activities for the general youth and adolescents through next year’s budget plan.

On September 9, the ministry announced that it has allocated a budget of 183.9 billion won to support youth and adolescent sports activities in 2027. This represents an increase of 64.1 billion won (53.5%) compared to this year’s main budget of 119.8 billion won. In particular, the budget for supporting the general youth and adolescent population will nearly quintuple from 8.3 billion won this year to 43 billion won next year.

This move is based on the assessment that the physical activity levels among Korea’s youth and adolescents are significantly lower than other age groups and the recommended standards. In 2025, the national sports participation rate stood at 62.9%, whereas it was only 43.2% among teenagers. The ministry plans to support the healthy development of youth and adolescents by implementing diverse support programs for sports activities.

Yonhap News Agency

First, the number of sports programs operated by sports federations, providing opportunities for youth and adolescents to participate in a variety of activities, will increase from 10 this year to 36 next year. Related funding will also be greatly increased from 3.8 billion won this year to 37 billion won next year. Each sports federation will develop customized sports programs that facilitate easy participation for youth and adolescents, distributing them through sports clubs and other channels.

In areas with declining populations, where opportunities for sports activities are relatively limited, lifestyle sports instructors and sports coaches will newly offer “child-friendly sports classes,” visiting kindergartens and daycare centers. A new budget of 2 billion won has been allocated for this initiative.

The eligibility for the Sports Class Voucher, which has provided support to low-income youth and adolescents, will be broadened. The Sports Class Voucher program supports a monthly sports class fee of 105,000 won. Starting next year, support will also be extended to adolescents from households with three or more children, North Korean defectors, and youth in regions experiencing population decline.

The ministry will also operate trial programs to enable youth and adolescents in areas lacking sports facilities, such as remote islands and mountainous regions, to access sports classes more easily. Detailed information on the application criteria and procedures for the Sports Class Voucher program will be announced later through the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and local governments.

Support to expand opportunities for people with disabilities—including youth and adolescents—to participate in lifestyle sports will also be strengthened. The number of recipients of the Sports Class Voucher for people with disabilities will rise from 26,000 this year to 32,000 next year.

Additionally, the ministry plans to scale up the tailored lifestyle sports program for youth and adolescents with disabilities, which was newly established this year through a supplementary budget. Using facilities such as schools, Bandabi Sports Centers, and local welfare centers, 800 programs tailored to disability types and age groups will be provided, helping youth and adolescents with disabilities participate regularly in sports activities as part of everyday life.

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