Culture ministry sets 101 billion won visual arts budget for 2027

The culture ministry said Friday it will allocate 101 billion won ($75.6 million) to the visual arts in its 2027 budget proposal, a plan that funnels more money into artist creation, overseas promotion and the infrastructure behind Korean art.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young presented the figures at the third meeting of the arts and culture policy advisory committee's visual arts division, held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Excluding construction projects such as the Danginri cultural creation center, spending on the creation, distribution and enjoyment of art comes to 42.6 billion won ($31.9 million), up 3.4 percent from a year earlier. The museum's own budget rises 5.5 percent to 77.1 billion won ($57.7 million).

Creation support makes up the largest share of the increase. The visual arts creation studio budget more than doubles to 3.2 billion won ($2.4 million), while career-stage support for established artists grows to 2.6 billion won in 2027 and art criticism support to 400 million won. Support for exhibition spaces rises 51.8 percent to 4.5 billion won ($3.37 million).

Overseas work is consolidated under a new program, the Korean Art Overseas Expansion Scale-up, budgeted at 4.1 billion won ($3.07 million). The ministry said it combined existing one-year programs after artists and curators complained that planning periods were too short. Under the new scheme, a Korean artist is paired with an overseas curator in the first year and a focused exhibition is staged abroad in the second.

At the museum, three new programs will support young artists: the Next Generation K-Art Global Entry program at 8.37 billion won ($6.27 million), the Youth Artist Basic Arts Fostering program at 6.97 billion won ($5.22 million), and a 1.2 billion won ($898,674) fund for touring shows organized with major museums overseas.

"Korean art's growth requires comprehensive support for artists' creation and distribution, for their entry into overseas markets and for the foundations of the art sector," Choi said. "We will continue to listen to the field and prepare the policies needed to raise Korean art's standing in the world."

The Danginri cultural creation center, scheduled to open in 2027, has 52.9 billion won ($39.6 million) set aside for opening and operation. A further 680 million won ($509,249) will fund an integrated art information system, due to begin operation in July 2027, that will hold statistics and handle resale royalty claims and payments.

Residency support rises 146.8 percent to 4.94 billion won ($3.7 million), split between 3.94 billion won for residencies in Korea and 1 billion won for Korean artists taking part in programs abroad. Six members of the visual arts division attended the meeting, including Kim Young-seok of the Korea Art Appraisal Association, Lee Sung-hoon of the Galleries Association of Korea and Yang Jung-moo of the Korea National University of Arts.