Minister Choe Huigyoung Holds Roundtable with Young Artists in Daehak-ro to Discuss Expanding Job Opportunities

Expansion of Support for Trainees at Arts and Culture Institutions through Supplementary Budget

Choe Huigyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, met with young artists at the Artist’s House in Daehak-ro on the afternoon of April 16 to listen to their on-site opinions regarding youth employment programs and to discuss policy directions. The roundtable was attended by more than ten participants, including young trainees working in various fields such as literature, visual arts, theater, musicals, dance, and traditional arts, as well as heads of arts organizations that have hired them.

Minister Choe and the young artists exchanged views on initiatives such as the 'Support Program for Trainees at Arts and Culture Institutions,' which will be expanded through the first supplementary budget for 2026.

The Support Program for Trainees at Arts and Culture Institutions is a project aimed at creating jobs for young people. It targets those under 34 years old who majored in arts and culture-related fields, supporting them to gain diverse hands-on experience—including performances and concerts—by working at both private and public arts organizations.

Choi Huyeong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to expand the scope of support for the ‘Trainees at Arts and Culture Institutions (Performance and Creation Sectors)’ program by allocating an additional 3.4 billion won from the first supplementary budget for 2026, in order to increase youth employment amid rising employment instability in the arts sector due to the recent economic downturn caused by high oil prices and inflation. In addition to the existing 118 positions, 275 more will be supported, bringing the total number of trainees to 393.

During the roundtable, participants shared the experiences of senior artists who have moved on to creative work and arts administration based on their time as trainees, as well as the plans of new trainees and arts organization leaders for this year. Various support measures to expand job opportunities for young artists were also discussed.

The Ministry increased the supplementary budget by a total of 73.8 billion won to expand youth employment in the arts sector and to help artists and small arts organizations and enterprises secure greater sustainability. The expanded budget includes 750 million won for the 'Literary Museum Youth Internship,' 32 billion won for the 'Artist Livelihood Stabilization Loan,' 30 billion won for 'Financial Support for the Arts Industry,' 4.1 billion won for 'Discount Vouchers for Performing Arts Viewing,' 2 billion won for 'Support for Artistic Creation,' and 700 million won for 'Personnel for Managing Artist Activity Certification.'

Minister Choe stated, "In a situation where there are significant concerns about economic contraction due to changes in the external environment, the first sector where people cut back on spending is the arts and culture sector. Through this supplementary budget, we have expanded job support and financial assistance, including loans, for young artists and arts enterprises who are particularly vulnerable to economic downturns. We will respond proactively to prevent a prolonged slump in the foundational arts sector."

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