Minister Choi Hwi-young Chairs 3rd Popular Music Subcommittee Meeting
Backing Diversity for Regional, Indie Musicians and Small Agencies
Backing Diversity for Regional, Indie Musicians and Small Agencies
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Minister Choi Hwi-young chaired the third meeting of the Popular Music Subcommittee of the Cultural and Arts Policy Advisory Committee on April 23, where officials discussed policy directions to be reflected in the 2027 budget. The advisory committee, established under the culture minister in November 2025, is organized into nine subcommittees. The popular music subcommittee includes ten experts representing Korea’s music scene. In the songwriting and performance category are Ham Chun-ho, Shin Dae-chul and Yoon Il-sang; in concert planning and production are Lee Jong-hyun, Park Jung-yong, Jeon Hong-jun, Yoon Dong-hwan and Han Jung-soo; and in criticism and academia are Cha Woo-jin and Lee Young-ju.
According to the ministry, attendees at the third meeting reviewed progress on proposals from the first two sessions and debated future policy directions. Choi noted K-pop’s high rankings on global music charts but said he shared industry concerns that concentration in certain areas and growing polarization are eroding the ecosystem’s diversity. He pledged to make “strengthening the sustainability of the music ecosystem” the top priority in the 2027 budget and related policies.
Responding to calls to broaden the music scene’s base by supporting regional and indie musicians, Choi outlined implementation steps. The ministry said it will bolster specialized programs at 17 music creation centers nationwide starting in 2026, and that this year’s new regional performance support program (budget: 2.4 billion KRW — about $1.8 million, roughly 20 events) will include regional balance as a factor during project evaluation. It will also launch a new “Global Leap Support” initiative this year (budget: 3 billion KRW — about $2.25 million) to strengthen mid-sized planning agencies, awarding selected projects up to 300 million KRW (about $225,000) per year for up to three years to roughly 10 companies.
Choi also endorsed calls for professional training of pop-music industry staff, saying the ministry will establish a systematic training program through this year’s new “Pop Music Business Talent Development” initiative (budget: 3 billion KRW — about $2.25 million, aiming to train about 120 people).
To preserve Korea’s pop-music achievements and legacy at a national level, the ministry announced a new “K-Contents Complex Cultural Space” project (budget: 15.5 billion KRW — about $11.63 million). The facility will collect and preserve materials from across popular culture—including music, film and video—and will function as an archive, exhibition and education center with a hall-of-fame component. The ministry added it will urgently gather key materials held by senior pop-culture artists to prevent the loss of valuable cultural heritage before the space is completed.
Committee members welcomed that the project secured budget support this year and urged the ministry to move quickly, noting the long-standing nature of the request and the advanced age of first-generation artists.
The ministry said Choi highlighted recent increases in support funding for popular music in 2026 and noted that a supplementary budget has secured funds to bolster musician participation in “Culture Day” Youth Mic events (2.4 billion KRW — about $1.8 million), expand loans for artists’ living-stabilization funds (32.8 billion KRW — about $24.6 million), and establish a young content company fund (25 billion KRW — about $18.75 million). “For K-culture to thrive, its foundation must be strong,” Choi said, according to the ministry.
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