South Korea proposes record culture budget for 2027
South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed a 2027 budget of 9.634 trillion won — exceeding 9 trillion won for the first time. This is 22.6% higher than the current year’s budget of 7.855 trillion won. The proposal still requires approval by the Cabinet and the country’s National Assembly, Korea Herald reports.
The share of cultural spending in total government expenditure is expected to rise from 1.08% to 1.16%. The largest amount — 3.854 trillion won, or 40% of the ministry’s proposed budget — is planned for culture and arts programs.
Expanding cultural support for young people
The biggest changes concern the Youth Culture Pass program. The program, currently available to 19- and 20-year-olds, is planned to be extended to people aged 19 to 34 — the country’s legal definition of youth. Its funding is expected to increase from 36.1 billion won to 792.5 billion won.
The amount of support will be 100,000 won for participants in the capital region and 150,000 won in other regions. The program will be available for use up to 16 times per year. Its funding will be fully provided by the state, whereas it was previously co-financed by local authorities.
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The ministry also intends to increase the number of internships at arts organizations from 365 to 600, and youth internships in the gaming industry from 40 to 500. The number of participants in the Youth K-Culture Global Frontier program is planned to rise from 700 to 2,000, while its budget is set to nearly triple to 14.2 billion won.
Support for artists and K-content
Spending on basic social protection for freelance artists with certified artistic activity, including industrial accident insurance and contributions to the national pension system, is expected to increase from 1.5 billion won to 31.1 billion won. The number of artists covered by the program is planned to rise from 4,400 to 39,000. Medical checkups are also envisaged for them for the first time in 2027.
A record 2.2 trillion won is proposed for supporting K-content. Contributions to the K-Content Fund are expected to reach 603 billion won, while the contribution to the global league fund is set to more than triple to 200 billion won. Separately, 93.5 billion won is planned for tourist areas near regional airports and 255.8 billion won for modernizing outdated sports infrastructure.
