Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Designates 22 New Preliminary Social Enterprises in Culture, Sports, and Tourism

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on December 12 that it will newly designate 22 preliminary social enterprises specializing in culture, sports, and tourism, which realize social value based on cultural creativity and sensitivity.

Since 2019, the ministry has been identifying and supporting preliminary social enterprises to foster a diverse range of social enterprises specialized in the fields of culture, sports, and tourism. Of the 310 preliminary social enterprises designated up to last year, a total of 43 have transitioned to and been certified as social enterprises.

This year, 22 companies were finally selected through document screening, on-site inspections, and a review committee, out of 48 companies that applied for the public competition. By type, there are 11 designated for social services, 2 for job creation, 2 for community contribution, and 7 for other categories (creative and innovative type).

The designated enterprises plan to carry out activities to realize social objectives in various fields. These include operating cultural arts and sports education and experience programs for vulnerable groups such as children, youth, seniors, and people with disabilities to expand cultural opportunities for local residents; running platforms that connect physical therapists with athletes to create jobs; and addressing environmental issues through eco-friendly materials and clothing recycling.

The newly designated preliminary social enterprises will receive various forms of support for three years. They may be eligible for customized support by growth stage, management support such as investment from the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency's fund of funds, and market access support including entry into online and offline stores and consulting services, all promoted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. In addition, they can receive specialized support such as additional points when applying for startup support programs in the fields of culture, arts, sports, tourism, and content.

Lee Jeongmi, Director of Cultural Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "We plan to continuously support the development of preliminary social enterprises in the fields of culture, sports, and tourism, so that creative and innovative cultural services can be continually discovered, enabling culture to play a key role in solving regional and social issues and enhancing the vibrancy of people's lives."

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