2023 Sports Sector Budget 1.6398 Trillion Won... Increased by 28.1 Billion Won from Original Plan

Expansion of Sports Voucher Support Amount and Period
Increase in National Team Athletes' Training Allowance and Off-site Accommodation Fees

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the 2023 budget for the sports sector has been finalized at 1.6398 trillion KRW. This amount is 28.1 billion KRW higher than the government proposal of 1.6117 trillion KRW during the National Assembly review process.

The increased budget includes ▲ the establishment of a comprehensive sports club information system project (6.8 billion KRW) ▲ support for overseas Korean athlete delegations and high school division participation in the National (Youth) Sports Festival (3.1 billion KRW) ▲ support for the 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships (4.2 billion KRW), among others.

The budget for the community sports sector next year totals 633.1 billion KRW. To expand community sports facilities, which form the foundation for public participation in community sports, the budget was increased for ▲ construction of senior-friendly national sports centers preferred by the elderly (600 million KRW, new) ▲ socially integrated sports facilities used jointly by disabled and non-disabled people (60.1 billion KRW, increased by 3.4 billion KRW).

The ‘Sports Voucher Program’ (85.2 billion KRW, increased by 33.3 billion KRW), which supports sports lesson fees for low-income children, youth, and people with disabilities, has extended the support period from 10 months to 12 months to enable year-round sports enjoyment. The monthly support amount was also increased by 10,000 KRW to 95,000 KRW, and the number of beneficiaries was raised by 20,000 to 105,000 people.

To enable citizens to participate in community sports competitions suited to their skill levels, support for league operations in seven sports (soccer, table tennis, baseball, billiards, badminton, tennis, Jokgu) was increased (22.7 billion KRW, up 2 billion KRW). A new budget was also allocated for outdoor sports activities (1 billion KRW, new), which have gained attention as alternatives to indoor sports after COVID-19.

A new budget was established for the construction of a comprehensive sports club information system (6.8 billion KRW, new) to manage information about sports clubs and systematically support club activities. The support unit cost for overseas Korean athlete delegations participating in the National Sports Festival was adjusted to reflect reality (1.7 billion KRW, increased by 1.2 billion KRW), and a new budget was allocated for high school division participation expenses (1.9 billion KRW, new), strengthening government support to revitalize the National Sports Festival.

The professional sports sector budget was set at 439.3 billion KRW, an increase of 37.4 billion KRW (9.3%) compared to this year. Measures include ▲ raising national team athletes’ training allowances (from 70,000 KRW to 80,000 KRW per day) ▲ improving treatment for dedicated teams and trainers (employment period extended from 11 to 12 months, provision of four major insurances and severance pay) ▲ increasing lodging fees for off-site training (from 40,000 KRW to 60,000 KRW) to help national team athletes and their support staff focus on training. Additionally, ▲ operation of winter sports training centers (3.1 billion KRW, new) ▲ expansion of Jincheon Athlete Village facilities (6 billion KRW, new) ▲ feasibility studies for the construction of a multipurpose gymnasium at Taebaek Athlete Village and replacement facilities for Taereung Ice Rink (each 300 million KRW, new) will significantly improve training environments for national and professional athletes and strengthen South Korea’s international sports competitiveness.

The international sports sector budget was set at 106.3 billion KRW, an increase of 16.6 billion KRW (18.5%) compared to this year. This includes ▲ preparations for the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games, including event operations, athlete programs, and official ceremonies (9.5 billion KRW, increased by 2 billion KRW) ▲ support for various cultural and educational programs linked to the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games (13.1 billion KRW, new) ▲ support for hosting the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships, which South Korea is hosting for the first time (4.2 billion KRW, new).

The budget for the disabled sports sector was set at 96.3 billion KRW, an increase of 6.2 billion KRW (6.9%) compared to this year. This includes ▲ improving treatment for provincial community sports instructors for the disabled (basic salary increased by 3.0%, up 450 million KRW) ▲ raising national team athlete allowances (from 70,000 KRW to 80,000 KRW per day) and improving lodging fees for off-site training (from 40,000 KRW to 60,000 KRW) ▲ expanding support for disabled sports league competitions to broaden the base and improve performance and promote inclusive sports (1.3 billion KRW, increased by 800 million KRW). Furthermore, the budget for supporting participation in international disabled sports competitions such as the Paralympics was increased by 1.6 billion KRW through National Assembly review.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, “We plan to gradually expand support to create a sports environment that all citizens can freely and easily enjoy and to enable the sports industry to drive South Korea’s future growth. We will spare no effort to provide world-class support for professional sports so that the remarkable achievements of South Korean sports in international competitions can instill pride in the Korean people.”

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