[Public Voices] Investing in the Future of K-Culture

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Budget Rises 22.6% to 9.6 Trillion Won Next Year

Establishing a Virtuous Investment Cycle in People and Creativity

From Safety Nets for Artists to Securing Content IP

'K-Pop Demon Hunters,' which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song in March, is infused with elements of Korean culture throughout. The backdrop features the traditional Irworobongdo screen, and the protagonists wear modern reinterpretations of Hanbok as they battle evil spirits. The popularity of such content has drawn increasing crowds. Last year, the National Museum of Korea recorded 6.5 million visitors, ranking third in the world after the Louvre and Vatican Museums, while sales of the museum's cultural merchandise brand 'Muze' reached 41.3 billion won—double the previous year. The number of inbound tourists also reached a record high of 18.94 million last year, and in the first half of this year alone, it hit 10.71 million, setting a new record for a half-year period. Creations inspired by Korean culture have become content, the content attracts people, and the expanding market, in turn, fuels new artistic creation. This virtuous cycle is what currently drives Korea's rise as a cultural powerhouse.

However, this success did not happen overnight. The same goes for author Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024. At the time of the award, Han Kang's works had reached global readers by being translated into 76 versions in 28 languages, with support from the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. Consistent investment in creative foundations has become the driving force behind the global phenomenon of K-culture today.

Yet, the lives of those who create these cultural foundations remain far from comfortable. According to the 2024 Artist Survey, artists earned an average of 10.55 million won annually from their artistic activities, which is only 41% of the national per capita average income. 23% of artists reported having stopped their creative work for over a year, with the primary reason being insufficient income. If creators cannot sustain their creative work, there is no future for K-culture.

The proposed 2027 budget for the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is set at 9.6345 trillion won—a 22.6% increase from this year, nearly double the government's overall expenditure growth rate of 12.8%. This figure reflects the government's determination to build on the achievements of K-culture and to make culture, sports, and tourism a bigger part of everyday life for all citizens. However, what matters more than the size of the budget is the direction in which investments are made.

First, we will strengthen the safety net to ensure that artists can continue their creative work. The budget for supporting social insurance enrollment will be increased from 1.5 billion won to 31.1 billion won, easing the burden of industrial accident and national pension insurance premiums, with new support for health checkup fees as well. Loans for living expenses and housing deposits will also be expanded significantly. In addition, funding for regional touring performances and traveling exhibitions by national museums will be greatly increased to ensure that everyone, anywhere in the country, has access to high-quality cultural experiences.

For young people, we will widen opportunities to experience both culture and work. The Youth Culture and Arts Pass, previously available only to those aged 19 and 20, will be expanded into a 'Youth Culture Pass' covering individuals up to age 34, and its use will be extended to include sports activities in addition to performances, exhibitions, films, and books. There will also be more opportunities to gain field experience, such as internships with arts organizations and assignments to K-culture projects abroad. As culture permeates the daily lives of young people and they work in the cultural sector, this virtuous cycle will further strengthen the ecosystem for creative work.

We are also supporting the K-content industry to enable it to own and develop its own intellectual property. The K-Content Fund contribution will be increased to a record 603 billion won. Support for production companies will be strengthened, so they can secure rights to dramas themselves instead of relying solely on global OTT capital. For indie music, a new 16 billion won will be allocated to create hubs for performances and exchanges while nurturing major festivals. The support scale for indie games will also be increased from 130 to 200, expanding the future sources of K-culture. Many of today's globally recognized names also started on small stages and in little-known teams.

Investing in culture requires time to bear fruit. It may take years for lines written by a rookie artist supported this year to be read in another language, or for a song performed on a small stage to resonate worldwide. However, all the achievements of Korean culture today started with yesterday's investment. A true cultural powerhouse is not a finished product but the result of steady investment in people, creativity, local communities, and the future. I look forward to seeing the seeds we plant today grow into tomorrow's K-culture.

Kim Youngsoo, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism

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