[Core Task of the Ministry of Culture③] "Full Support for K-Contents and Travel Over Multiple Years... Enhancing Accessibility for People with Disabilities"

'Support Without Interference' Principle
Career Continuity Support for Career-Interrupted Artists
Establishment of Comprehensive Control Tower for Artist Support
Creation of 'Gukmin Travel Savings' for Low-Burden Travel Support
Enhancing Accessibility for Disabled in Arts and Travel Sectors

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism disclosed on the 21st a plan to support basic arts creation and distribution based on the principle of “support without interference.”

The ministry will first extend the support period from “one year” to “multi-year (3 years)” and provide support to young artists (under 39 years old). For artists who have not been active for more than three years, expenses necessary for preparing, researching, and presenting works will be supported to help “bridge career gaps.” Additional points will be given when applying for government public projects.

Support for basic arts such as fine arts, classical music, and literature will also be expanded. First, in fine arts, the ministry will enact the Fine Arts Promotion Act to support creation, exhibitions, and overseas expansion, and support the joint hosting of world-renowned art fairs. A joint exhibition with Korea’s largest art fair, the Korea International Art Fair, and “Frieze,” one of the world’s top three art fair brands, is planned to continue until 2026.

In classical music, the Korea National University of Arts’ Gifted Education Institute’s talent development system will be strengthened. The ministry plans to advance conductor and performer academies in collaboration with national organizations. In literature, a professional translation degree program centered on native speakers will be established by 2029 to support local translation, publishing, and author exchanges.

A comprehensive control tower to support artists will also be established. By 2027, “Art Korea Incubators” will be built in seventeen locations nationwide to provide comprehensive support for the creation and distribution of artworks. From 2023, dedicated theaters for classical music, dance, and musicals will be prepared, and by 2026, a theater-specialized cultural space will be constructed in Seogye-dong, Seoul.

Measures to improve accessibility for audiences were also introduced. To ensure fair access opportunities to culture, the ministry will first investigate the accessibility status of disabled creators and audiences at national and public performance venues nationwide. Based on this, standards for accessible performance venues for the disabled will be established and applied to policies over the next five years. Development of braille and sign language automatic interpretation systems will also be undertaken.

Efforts will be made to enhance the convenience of tourism for the disabled. Disability-friendly tourism cities will be created, and personnel will be trained to assist disabled travelers. In September, the “National Inclusive Sports Festival,” where disabled and non-disabled people participate together, will also be held.

Additionally, “workation” (travel-friendly work systems), “living in local areas” type tourism, and “pet-friendly travel” will be promoted. To reduce economic burdens, a “National Travel Savings” system will be introduced, where the government, local governments, and companies add benefits when travel expenses are saved.

Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “The Yoon Seok-yeol administration aims not to be a ‘great power’ that overwhelms with military or economic strength, but a ‘culturally attractive nation’ that captivates the hearts of people worldwide. K-content centered on movies, online video services (OTT), and K-pop will become the main driving force leading our economy.”

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