How South Korea Supports Its Artists: Passes, Funding, and Better Data

South Korea is a small country, but it has made a big mark on global culture. More than a decade ago, K-pop became popular around the world. Since then, South Korean fashion and art have also gained international attention. The government has played a big role in making this happen by giving strong, steady support to the arts.

Around 2015, the South Korean government began taking a more careful, long-term approach to supporting its artists. That year, the budget for the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism reached about 4.87 trillion Korean won, which is roughly S$4.6 billion. That number has since grown to more than 9 trillion won. Culture and arts programs receive the largest share of that budget — about 40 percent. Officials say the goal is to build South Korea into a true 'cultural powerhouse.'

One leader in this effort is Sue R. Lee, who runs the visual arts division at the Korea Arts Management Service, or KAMS. KAMS works in a similar way to Singapore's National Arts Council. Lee says one of the hardest things about arts policy is that it takes a long time to see results. Artists need years to develop their skills, create important work, and get noticed by galleries and collectors around the world.

South Korea has a program called the Youth Culture Pass, which is similar to Singapore's Culture Pass. It was first tested in 2024 for 19-year-olds. Starting in 2027, the pass will be open to people aged 19 to 34, and it will become a yearly allowance instead of a one-time payment. People living outside the capital will receive 150,000 won per year, while those in the capital region will get 100,000 won.

The government also gives strong support to private galleries, which it sees as important bridges between official art institutions and the market. Since 2019, galleries have received 15 million won when they sign exclusive contracts with up-and-coming artists. Additional money is also available to help cover the costs of an artist's first exhibition and marketing materials. Lee says more than 1,000 artists have been helped through this program, and over 5,600 works worth 17.1 billion won have been sold.

One artist who benefited from this support is Hyunsun Jeon. She has since joined the roster of the international gallery Esther Schipper and was chosen to hold a solo exhibition in Berlin. Lee says the program has also helped create a culture of written agreements between galleries and artists, making their rights and responsibilities clearer. This kind of structure helps both sides trust each other and work together more effectively over time.

A new online platform planned for 2028 will make the South Korean art market more open and easier to understand. It will share information like sales records and artwork prices in English, so people around the world can access it. This will help new buyers figure out fair prices and build confidence in the market. The platform will also create an artist database that could one day allow artists to earn money each time their work is resold — a right called the Artist's Resale Right, which does not currently exist in Singapore.

KAMS also provides funding for galleries that show Korean art at fairs overseas, giving up to 50 million won to help cover booth costs. Even publishers who release books about Korean art in other countries can apply for similar funding. This focus on sharing Korean art with the world is a key part of the government's strategy. The results speak for themselves: there are now 900 galleries across South Korea, more than double the 400 that existed in 2014.

The South Korean art market has also grown from about 400 billion won in the late 2010s to around 800 billion won today. In December, artist Minjeong An became the youngest South Korean artist to have her work added to the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York. She joined other celebrated Korean artists like Lee Bul, Do Ho Suh, and Haegue Yang. Lee says that when Korean artists succeed on the world stage, it helps show the country's creativity and culture to a global audience — and that cultural and economic value grow together.