Bigger 2026 budget for 'K-culture' and programs as gov't focuses on turning content into strategic industry
Published: 03 Dec. 2025, 22:10
Updated: 04 Dec. 2025, 17:46
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- LIM JEONG-WON
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Tourists in traditional Korean dress, or hanbok, are seen in front of Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul on Nov. 16. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/04/4427f90a-c66e-4ced-a142-dc77a3fe209d.jpg)
Tourists in traditional Korean dress, or hanbok, are seen in front of Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul on Nov. 16. [NEWS1]
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s budget for 2026 has been finalized at 7.86 trillion won ($5.36 billion), an 11.2 percent increase from this year’s budget, the ministry announced Wednesday.
The Culture Ministry said Wednesday that the budget was approved at the plenary session of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The budget allocation focuses on developing Korean content into a national strategic industry as well as on building up public tourism in order to achieve President Lee Jae Myung’s campaign promise of a “300-trillion won K-culture era.”
By sector, 1.62 trillion won has been allocated to the content sector, a notable 27 percent increase from this year's 1.27 trillion won.
A total of 430 billion won will be invested in the “K-Content Fund,” an increase of 135 billion won from this year.
Additionally, 15.5 billion won was allocated to the creation of K-Content cultural spaces, 12 billion won to support for improving the popular music performance environment and 7.5 billion won to support the transition of game production environments to AI.
The culture and arts sector received a budget of 2.67 trillion won, the largest portion of the Culture Ministry’s overall budget.
![Lawmakers are seen during a National Assembly plenary session on the government budget for 2026 at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul on Dec. 2. [LIM HYUN-DONG]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/04/2e0027c0-9e47-49d0-bbad-26ca09f13d6d.jpg)
Lawmakers are seen during a National Assembly plenary session on the government budget for 2026 at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul on Dec. 2. [LIM HYUN-DONG]
The budget for the integrated travel pass combining transportation tickets and admissions to major tourist attractions was 291.5 billion won, a 27.9 billion won increase from last year, and the Youth Culture and Arts Pass was allocated 36.1 billion won, a 19.1 billion won increase from this year. An additional 24.4 billion won was also allocated to “K-Musical Support,” 18 billion won to “K-Art Young Creator Support” and 5 billion won to the “Artist Welfare Fund.”
The tourism sector received 1.48 trillion won in next year’s budget. A total of 710.5 billion won was earmarked for financial support for the tourism industry to revitalize stagnant local tourism.
Additionally, 10.7 billion won will be allocated to worker vacation support, 6.5 billion won to the Community Love Vacation Support Program and 5 billion won to the K-Regional Tourism Pilot Zone Project.
![Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young is seen during an interview at the government complex in Sejong on Nov. 17. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/04/17a51169-fc06-4f8a-a2ff-fa8c3e57b0d7.jpg)
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young is seen during an interview at the government complex in Sejong on Nov. 17. [YONHAP]
In the sports sector, which has a budget of 1.7 trillion won, financial support for the sports industry accounted for the largest portion, at 288.4 billion won.
A total of 95.3 billion won will be allocated for the renovation and maintenance of public sports facilities, and 8.8 billion won will be injected into support job stability for athletes. Budgets for new projects, such as sports programs for older citizens, at 7.5 billion won, and training of prospective national athletes, at 3 billion won, have also been included.
“We will strive to efficiently execute next year's budget to support the global spread of K-culture,” a Culture Ministry official said.
BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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