Government to Train and Discover 66,000 Digital Convergence Talent

Announcement of the 'Basic Plan for Cultural Digital Innovation 2025'
Opening of Digital Resources, Increased Budget for Cultural Technology R&D
Improvement of Copyright System, Proactive Introduction of Braille Services

On the 28th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held the Culture Digital New Continent Council, a cultural digital innovation advisory body, and announced the 'Basic Plan for Cultural Digital Innovation 2025.' This plan was prepared to support strategies leading global digital innovation and to strengthen the digital competitiveness of K-Culture. It consists of nine key tasks to implement promotion strategies such as value creation in the K-Culture industry, expansion of digital K-Culture experiences, and realization of new administration. A ministry official explained, "This is the result of two rounds of public opinion gathering, advisory meetings with industry and academic experts, and assessments of digital innovation capabilities."

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism fosters talents, products, and services that blend genres beyond traditional genres and media to create value in the K-Culture industry. It plans to nurture and discover 66,000 digital convergence talents over three years and encourage cultural, tourism, and sports companies to provide services using digital technologies. Additionally, it supports the private creative ecosystem by opening digital cultural resources and expands investment in technology development where there is demand, such as super-large AI and digital platforms. A ministry official explained, "We will open about 400,000 digital cultural resources, including over 130 types of Korean language corpora necessary for AI utilization, as well as digital source materials like webtoons, dramas, and traditional folktales." They added, "The cultural technology research and development (R&D) budget, currently 130 billion won, will also be expanded to 460 billion won by 2025."

The digital infrastructure for experiencing K-Culture will be expanded both online and offline. The ministry will increase convergence immersive experience services using cultural facilities such as K-Culture Square and museum VR storage room experiences, and add 57 boarding-type cultural interpretation robots providing sign language and multilingual commentary services, up from 23. Braille services for the visually impaired will also be proactively introduced on 68 websites of public institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Methods for organizational culture change based on digital technology include improvements to related systems such as copyright in response to technological environment changes like OTT, NFT, and AI, advancement of intelligent security monitoring systems, operation of mandatory digital education and academies, and use of super-large AI technology for drafting press releases and meeting minutes. A ministry official stated, "The Korea Culture Information Service, the dedicated informatization agency under the ministry, will be designated as the 'Culture Digital Innovation Integrated Support Center' to actively support digital innovation at the ministry headquarters and affiliated public institutions."

To facilitate smooth progress, the ministry plans to increase the digital and cultural technology R&D budget from the current 540 billion won to 1.1 trillion won. A ministry official projected, "The public's experience of digital culture enjoyment will increase from 75.5% to 85%, and the types of experiences will shift from audiovisual viewing-centered to metaverse-based interactive virtual experiences and five-sense immersive experiences. This will serve as a foundation to remove cultural enjoyment barriers for vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly."

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