Ministry of Culture's Budget for Next Year Confirmed at 7.0672 Trillion Won... Focus on Becoming a 'Global Cultural Power'

1.6% Increase Compared to This Year
Cultural and Arts Sector at 2.3 Trillion Won, Largest Share
New Bicycle and Jeonjeokji Themed Tourism Programs Added

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the MCST) announced on the 11th that the 2025 budget has been finalized at 7.0672 trillion KRW, an increase of 112.7 billion KRW (1.6%) compared to this year's original budget.

Yoon In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Photo by Yonhap News

This budget is primarily allocated to four major sectors?culture and arts, content, sports, and tourism?to realize a "global cultural powerhouse" and "culture that accompanies the daily lives of the people and adds happiness."

The culture and arts sector accounts for the largest share with 2.3842 trillion KRW, an increase of 15.9 billion KRW (0.7%) compared to this year. Major projects include △Integrated Cultural Voucher Program 263.6 billion KRW (+23.9 billion KRW) △Creation of Korea Cultural Cities 40 billion KRW (new) △Support for Young Educators in National Arts Organizations 13.2 billion KRW (+5.5 billion KRW) △Fostering Global Performing Arts Festivals 5.2 billion KRW (+4.0 billion KRW) △Operation of Youth Arts Troupes 4.9 billion KRW (new) △Operation of Children and Youth Theater Troupes 2.9 billion KRW (new), among others. Among these, the Korea Cultural Cities project is a core national agenda of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, designating and fostering regional cultural special zones to promote balanced cultural development centered on local areas.

To strengthen the global competitiveness of the content industry, a total of 1.2715 trillion KRW has been allocated to the content sector. This includes △Global League Fund 40 billion KRW (new) △Support for Mid-Budget Film Production 10 billion KRW (new) △Overseas Expansion of Comics and Webtoons 13.5 billion KRW (+6.5 billion KRW) △Support for Console Games 15.5 billion KRW (+8.7 billion KRW) △Joint Hallyu Expo with Related Ministries 12 billion KRW (+5.0 billion KRW) △Large-scale Hallyu Comprehensive Events 8 billion KRW (new) △Support for Development of Regional Specialized Content 18.3 billion KRW (+13.7 billion KRW), among others.

2025 Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Budget Allocation Status by Sector. [Data = Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

The sports sector budget increased by 57.5 billion KRW (3.5%) from this year to 1.6739 trillion KRW, recording the highest growth rate. Major projects include △Sports Voucher Program for Vulnerable Groups and Persons with Disabilities 131.3 billion KRW (+10.9 billion KRW) △Support for National Team Training 68.7 billion KRW (+11.7 billion KRW) △Nurturing Candidates, Youth Representatives, and Dream Trees 27.6 billion KRW (+4.0 billion KRW) △Financial Support for the Sports Industry 248 billion KRW (+84.3 billion KRW) △Support for Hosting Organizations 154.5 billion KRW (+24.8 billion KRW).

The tourism sector has been allocated 1.3477 trillion KRW, an increase of 31.7 billion KRW (2.4%) from this year, to enhance global competitiveness. Key projects include △Loan Support for Tourism Businesses 586.5 billion KRW (+50 billion KRW) △Southern Region Wide-area Tourism Development 78.8 billion KRW (+51 billion KRW) △Activation of Regional Themed Tourism for Bicycles, War Sites, and Cruises 8.2 billion KRW (new) △Activation of Targeted Marketing Linked to K-Culture Related Industries 3.6 billion KRW (new) △Overseas Local Marketing and Promotion for Tourism Service Providers 4.2 billion KRW (new).

The activation of bicycle and war site tourism is a project to develop bicycle tourism products centered on the major battlefields and memorial facilities of the Korean War (6.25 War). It aims to fuse history and tourism by re-examining the historical value of the region and proposing a new form of themed tourism that revitalizes the local economy.

An MCST official stated, "The 2025 budget focuses on strengthening the foundational capabilities of K-Culture and enhancing the global competitiveness of the cultural industry. We will strive to efficiently execute next year’s budget to innovatively grow the capabilities of our culture and solidify the status of a ‘global cultural powerhouse.’"

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