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Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea)

Government ministry of South Korea

Field	Value
agency_name	Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
native_name_a	문화체육관광부
seal	Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea Logo (vertical).svg
logo	Emblem of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (English) (horizontal).svg
image	Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism(South Korea).jpg
image_caption	MCST headquarters in Sejong City
formed	February 29, 2008
jurisdiction	Government of South Korea
headquarters	Sejong City, South Korea
preceding1	Ministry of Culture and Information (1968–1990)
preceding2	Ministry of Culture (1990–1993)
preceding3	Ministry of Culture and Sports (1993–1998)
preceding4	Ministry of Culture and Tourism (1998–2008)
preceding5	Ministry of Information and Communication (Digital Contents affairs only) (1994–2008)
preceding6	Government Information Agency (1999–2008)
budget	₩7.067 trillion
(US$4.9 billion)
(FY2025)
minister1_name
deputyminister1_name	Jeon Byeong-geuk – 1st Vice Minister of Culture, Arts and Religious Affairs
deputyminister2_name	Jang Mi-ran – 2nd Vice Minister of Sports, Tourism, Policy Promotion
child1_agency	Cultural Heritage Administration
website
embed	{{Infobox Korean name/auto
hangul	^문화_체육_관광부
hanja	文化體育觀光部
child	yes

(US$4.9 billion) (FY2025)

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST; ) is a central government agency of South Korea responsible for the areas of tourism, culture, art, religion, and sports. It has two vice ministers, three assistant ministers, one commission, and over 60 divisions. The first Minister of Culture was novelist Lee O-young. Subsidiary entities such as the National Museum, the National Theater, and the National Library are under the Ministry.

The headquarters are located in the Sejong Government Complex in Sejong City. The headquarters were previously in Jongno District, Seoul.

History

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism was originally a sub-organization of the Ministry of Education created in 1948. Later, the Ministry of Transportation set up a tourism department. The Ministry of Information was set up in 1961 for administration of art and cultural affairs. The Ministry of Culture and Information became the Ministry of Culture in 1990.

In 1993, the Ministry of Culture was integrated with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to become the Ministry of Culture and Sports. In 1998, as part of government reorganization efforts, the Ministry of Culture and Sports was replaced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It was created to invest in and support the entertainment industry, as Korea needed new areas of growth in the wake of the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s.

President Kim Dae Jung put forth industrial policies supporting entertainment with the same regard as traditional industrial sectors such as manufacturing. Investments were made in both infrastructure and technology to support K-pop, including concert halls and visual effects technology. In addition, government regulation of karaoke bars favored K-pop. The government believes that promoting Korean pop culture would improve people's view of the country and help with business and tourism.

The Ministry developed the Korea Open Government License (KOGL), a copyright license that allows for the use and distribution of public materials.

In 2012 the Ministry established an advisory committee on how to sustain the Korean wave (Hallyu). In 2013, the Ministry allocated 319 billion won (US$280 million) to support Hallyu.

Mission and budget

The ministry has justified its Hallyu budget by linking it to Korea's "export-led economic development". In 2012 it estimated that the Korean wave was worth US$83.2 billion, of which US$5.26 billion was attributable to K-pop.

Some in the K-pop industry have criticized the ministry for not directly supporting K-pop while fattening related industries such as Hangul, K-drama, Korean food, fashion, sports, and traditional folk music. These interest groups that have been lobbying the government for inclusion in the Hallyu budget.

List of ministers

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office	President	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (2008-present)
44	[[File:Youinchon2010.jpg	75px]]	Yu In-chon	29 February 2008	26 January 2011		Lee Myung-bak
45	[[File:정병국.jpg	75px]]	Choung Byoung-gug	27 January 2011	16 September 2011
46	[[File:Choe Kwang-shik (cropped).jpg	75px]]	Choe Kwang-shik	17 September 2011	10 March 2013
47	[[File:Yoo Jin-ryong.jpg	75px]]	Yoo Jin-ryong	11 March 2013	16 July 2014		Park Geun-hye
48	[[File:Kim Jongdeok.jpg	75px]]	Kim Jong-deok	20 August 2014	4 September 2016
49	[[File:Korea Mexico Ministerial Meeting 07 cropped.jpg	75px]]	title=Park's trusted confident named new culture minister	date=16 August 2016	publisher=Yonhap News Agency	url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2016/08/16/24/0200000000AEN20160816004851315F.html	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121025152/http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2016/08/16/24/0200000000AEN20160816004851315F.html	archive-date=21 January 2017	url-status=live	df=dmy}}	5 September 2016	20 January 2017
50	[[File:도종환 국회 교육문화체육관광위원회 간사.jpg	75px]]	Do Jong-hwan	16 June 2017	2 April 2019		Moon Jae-in
51	[[File:Emblem of the Government of the Republic of Korea.svg	75px]]	Park Yang-woo	3 April 2019	10 February 2021
52	[[File:Korea Colombia Culture Minister Meeting 06.jpg	75px]]	Hwang Hee	11 February 2021	12 May 2022
53	[[File:Park Bo Gyoon - 2022 (cropped).jpg	75px]]	Park Bo-gyoon	13 May 2022	7 October 2023		Yoon Suk-yeol
54	[[File:Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon 20240611.jpg	75px]]	url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=117&aid=0001940323	script-title=ko:역대 문화연예계 출신 장관은 누구?	trans-title=Who are the past ministers from the culture and entertainment industry?	publisher=MyDaily	via=Naver	date=14 February 2008	access-date=6 July 2023	language=ko	archive-date=30 October 2023	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030193855/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=117&aid=0001940323	url-status=live}}	7 October 2023	29 July 2025
55	[[File:Choi Hwi-Young's portrait (2025.11).jpg	75px]]		July 31 2025	Incumbent		Lee Jae Myung

Logo

File:Emblem of the Government of the Republic of Korea (1949-2016).svg|1948~2005 File:문화관광부 로고 (2005-2008).svg|2005–2008 File:Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (4403458554).jpg|2008–2016 File:Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea Logo (vertical).svg|2016–present

Organization

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is organized as follows:

Bureau/Office	Director/Counselor Office	Department/Division	Subordinate Organizations under the Minister	Subordinate Organizations under the First Vice Minister
Spokesperson's Office	Public Relations Officer / Digital Communication Team
Inspector General's Office	Audit Officer
Minister's Policy Advisor Office
Planning and Coordination Office	Policy Planning Office	Planning and Innovation Division / Finance Division / Regulatory Reform and Legal Affairs Division / Information Management Division / Gender Equality Policy Division / Data Policy Team
Crisis and Safety Planning Officer
	Administrative Support Division
Culture and Arts Policy Office	Culture Policy Officer	Culture Policy Division / National Language Policy Division / Traditional Culture Division / International Culture Division
Arts Policy Officer	Arts Policy Division / Performing Arts and Traditional Arts Division / Visual Arts and Design Division / Artist Support Team
Regional Culture Policy Officer	Regional Culture Policy Division / Cultural Infrastructure Division / Library Policy Planning Division / Culture and Arts Education Division
Religious Affairs Office	Religious Affairs 1 Division / Religious Affairs 2 Division
Content Policy Bureau	Culture Industry Policy Division / Video Content Industry Division / Game Content Industry Division / Popular Culture Industry Division / Hallyu Support and Cooperation Division
Copyright Bureau	Copyright Policy Division / Copyright Industry Division / Copyright Protection Division / Cultural Trade Cooperation Division
Media Policy Bureau	Media Policy Division / Broadcast Video Advertising Division / Publishing, Printing, and Reading Promotion Division
Former Jeollanam-do Provincial Office Restoration Promotion Team{{Efn	name=open}}	Restoration Cooperation Division / Restoration Facilities Division
Cheong Wa Dae Management and Utilization Promotion Team	Cheong Wa Dae Management and Utilization Planning Division
Assistant Minister
Public Communication Office	Communication Policy Officer	Communication Policy Division / Communication Cooperation Division / Communication Support Division
Communication Support Officer	Content Planning Division / Public Opinion Division / Analysis Division
Digital Communication Officer{{Efn	name=open}}	Digital Communication Policy Division / Digital Communication Planning Division{{Efn	name=open}} / Policy Portal Division / Digital Communication Production Division{{Efn	name=open}}
Sports Bureau	Sports Policy Division / Sports Promotion Division / Sports Industry Division
	Sports Cooperation Officer	International Sports Division / Sports for the Disabled Division{{Efn	Temporary organization, exists until June 30, 2025.}}
Tourism Policy Bureau	Tourism Policy Division / Domestic Tourism Promotion Division / International Tourism Division / Tourism Infrastructure Division
	Tourism Industry Policy Officer	Tourism Industry Policy Division / Convergent Tourism Industry Division / Tourism Development Division

Affiliated institutions

Institutions supporting the Minister's jurisdiction:
- Korea National University of Arts
- National Gugak High School
- National Gugak Middle School
- National Traditional Arts High School
- National Traditional Arts Middle School
- National Museum of Korea
- National Institute of the Korean Language
- National Library of Korea
- Korean Culture and Information Service
- National Gugak Center
- National Folk Museum of Korea
- National Museum of Korean Contemporary History
- National Hangeul Museum
- National Library for the Disabled
Executive Agencies (Responsible Operating Agencies) supporting the Minister's jurisdiction:
- National Theater of Korea
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
- Korea Policy Broadcasting Agency
- Asia Culture Center

Korean Culture and Information Service

Main article: Korean Culture and Information Service

The Korean Culture and Information Service is a department of the MCST that aims to bring Korean culture closer to the rest of the world while improving the national image of Korea. It is also responsible for setting up more than 20 Korean Cultural Centers around the world.

Affiliated advisory committees

Committee Name	Legal Basis for Establishment	Notes
Tourism Promotion and Development Fund Management Committee	Article 6 of the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund Act
Tourism Accommodation Measures Committee	Article 16 of the Special Act on the Expansion of Tourist Accommodation Facilities
National Language Deliberation Council	Article 13 of the Framework Act on the National Language
International Sporting Event Bidding Examination Committee	Article 3 of the Enforcement Decree of the International Sporting Event Support Act
Library Materials Review Committee	Article 13-3 of the Enforcement Decree of the Library Act
Registration Cancellation Review Committee	Article 9-4 of the Act on the Promotion of News Agencies
Museum and Art Gallery Curator Operation Committee	Article 6 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Museums and Art Galleries
King Sejong Institute Policy Consultative Council	Article 19-2 of the Framework Act on the National Language
Media Concentration Survey Committee	Article 12 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, etc.
E-Sports Promotion Advisory Committee	Article 9 of the Act on the Promotion of E-Sports
Periodical Publication Advisory Committee	Article 9 of the Act on the Promotion of Magazines and Other Periodical Publications
Regional Newspaper Development Committee	Article 7 of the Special Act on the Support of Regional Newspaper Development
Content Dispute Resolution Committee	Article 29 of the Content Industry Promotion Act
Korean Language Teacher Qualification Review Committee	Article 13 of the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on the National Language

Honorary ambassadors for South Korea tourism

The ministry appoints globally-known South Korean figures as honorary ambassadors for South Korean tourism. They have included:

BTS, boy group (2022)
Lee Jung-jae, actor (2023)
NewJeans, girl group (2024)
Park Bo-gum, actor (2025)

Notes

References

ROK Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism website: [http://www.mcst.go.kr/english/aboutus/history.jsp History of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism] {{webarchive. link. (2011-07-23 .)
(11 December 2024). "Culture Ministry finalizes 2025 budget to turn Korea into 'cultural powerhouse'". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
Has 2 positions; one special civil servant in the Senior Civil Service (Grade B), and one special civil servant equivalent to Grade 3 or 4.
Temporary organization, exists until June 30, 2024.
Temporary organization, exists until August 31, 2025.
Temporary organization, exists until June 30, 2025.
Hong, Euny. (2014-08-05). "The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture". Picador.
(2015). "How the South Korean Government Made K-Pop a Thing". National Public Radio (NPR).
(2013). "How Korean Bureaucrats Turned K-Pop into a National Symbol". PRI.
"공공누리".
(2013). "K-Pop in Korea: How the Pop Music Industry is Changing a Post-Developmental Society". Cross Currents.
(2013). "Minister profile". ROK Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
(13 February 2013). "Yoo Jin-ryong, a respected and seasoned cultural bureaucrat". [[Yonhap]].
Kim Hoo-ran. (27 October 2016). "Troubling revelations about Seoul's 'Shadow President': The Korea Herald columnist". The Straits Times.
(3 August 2014). "Park taps art professor as culture minister". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
(16 August 2016). "Park's trusted confident named new culture minister". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
(2015). "Minister profile". ROK Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Jung Nok-yong. (23 January 2017). "Culture Minister Resigns After Arrest". The Chosunilbo.
Yu Jung-in. (10 June 2018). "취임 1주년 맞은 도종환 문화체육관광부 장관 "평양 갔을 때 '남북공동사전 편찬' 1순위 제안"". [[Kyunghyang Shinmun]].
link. [[MyDaily]]. (14 February 2008)
link. [[KBS News]]. (7 October 2023)
"Greetings from the Director". Korean Culture and Information Service.
Jae-heun, Kim. (2025-07-24). "Actor Park Bo-gum new face of Korea's tourism".
(2025-07-29). "한국의 매력 알리는 얼굴에 '박보검'".
(2025-07-29). "K-stars Park Bo-gum, Blackpink’s Jennie named South Korea’s tourism ambassadors for 2025". The Straits Times.

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