Culture Ministry to Provide Up to 300 Million Won for Popular Music Performances Outside the Seoul Metropolitan Area

20 Performances to Be Selected by Scale of Event

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

A public contest is being launched to provide up to 300 million won in operating expenses for popular music performances held outside the Seoul metropolitan area.

On April 16, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that, together with the Korea Creative Content Agency, it will be accepting applications for the "Support Project for the Revitalization of Regional Popular Music Performances" from today until 11 a.m. on April 30.

This project aims to address the cultural gap by expanding popular music performances, which are concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, to other regions, and to revitalize the local music industry. Eligible performances are those held in non-metropolitan regions, excluding Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province. The program covers a variety of formats, from solo concerts to festivals; however, performances included as side programs of other events are excluded.

The ministry will select a total of 20 performances across three categories, depending on the scale of the event. In the "extra-large" category, one performance with an audience of over 10,000 will be selected to receive up to 300 million won. In the "large (solo)" category, five performances with 3,000 to less than 10,000 seats per show will be selected, each receiving up to 140 million won. In the "medium" category, 14 performances with 1,000 to less than 3,000 seats will be selected, each supported with up to 95 million won.

The grant can be used for operating expenses such as venue and equipment rental fees, promotional costs, and stage production costs. Applicants are required to maintain a self-funding ratio of at least 10%. In particular, bonus points will be given if a musician who participated in the 2025 "Regional Music Creation Center" project is involved in the performance.

Choi Sunghui, Director of the Content Media Industry Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Over 70% of popular music performances are currently held in the metropolitan area. We expect this project to expand cultural enjoyment opportunities for local residents and to help boost regional economies."

The ministry plans to announce the final recipients following a document screening and presentation evaluation next month.

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