[2023 Budget] Korea Communications Commission Allocates 255.5 Billion KRW... Increased Budget for Digital Platform User Protection and Sexual Crime Prevention

Confirmed by Year-End After National Assembly Deliberation and Resolution
Increased Budget for Digital Platform User Protection

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The Korea Communications Commission announced on the 31st that it has prepared a total budget of 255.5 billion KRW for 2023 and submitted it to the National Assembly. The budget for protecting digital platform users and responding to digital sex crimes has been increased. The budget plan will be finalized at the end of the year after review and approval by the National Assembly.

The KCC allocated 44.7 billion KRW for enhancing media accessibility for marginalized groups and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners, 61.8 billion KRW for protecting digital platform users and countering internet dysfunction, and 71.3 billion KRW for promoting broadcasting and telecommunications content.

71.3 Billion KRW for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Content Promotion

The largest portion of the budget is allocated to the promotion of broadcasting and telecommunications content, with 71.3 billion KRW. This includes continued production support for public interest broadcasting programs such as KBS international broadcasting programs, EBS educational programs, Arirang International Broadcasting, and Gugak Broadcasting. Additionally, 70.6 billion KRW is allocated to support content production and distribution revitalization for regional broadcasters. This includes approximately 29.8 billion KRW for EBS program production support, about 23.4 billion KRW for Arirang International Broadcasting support, around 6.4 billion KRW for KBS international broadcasting program production support, and roughly 4.5 billion KRW to strengthen the competitiveness of regional small and medium broadcasters' content.

For the national agenda of "Realizing a Global Media Power," 350 million KRW is allocated for overseas online video service (OTT) market research and international forums.

61.8 Billion KRW for Protecting Digital Platform Users and More

A total of 61.8 billion KRW will be invested in protecting digital platform users and responding to internet dysfunction. The budget for projects aimed at combating illegal spam, distribution of obscene materials, cyberbullying, and smartphone overdependence, as well as creating a healthy internet usage environment, is set at 8.4 billion KRW, an increase of 400 million KRW compared to the previous year. Additionally, 80 million KRW is newly allocated for the establishment and operation of private self-regulatory organizations to prevent unfair practices and damages within digital platforms. The budget for surveys on the overall app market ecosystem, including strengthened corrective and monitoring activities to prohibit forced use of specific payment methods, has increased by 320 million KRW to 2.35 billion KRW. Customized internet ethics and cyberbullying prevention education for the public has increased by 200 million KRW to 6.5 billion KRW, and 4 billion KRW more is allocated to location information business inspections and prevention of illegal and harmful information distribution, totaling 6.4 billion KRW.

Through the citizen participation budget review system, which allows the general public to participate in government budget planning, additional budget has been allocated for projects responding to digital sex crimes. Selected projects include the establishment and operation of a volatile obscene material monitoring system, distribution and operation of harmful information blocking software (SW) for tablet PCs to protect youth, establishment of a one-stop digital sex crime reporting ARS, and the development of a DNA filtering misidentification reporting system for digital sex crime videos.

44.7 Billion KRW for Media Welfare and Support for Small Business Owners

A total of 44.7 billion KRW is allocated for media welfare for marginalized groups and support for SMEs and small business owners. To guarantee broadcasting access rights for marginalized groups, an important national agenda, 15.7 billion KRW is allocated for expanding customized TV distribution for the visually and hearing impaired and supporting broadcasting production for people with disabilities, an increase of 2.2 billion KRW from the previous year. Support for broadcasting advertisement production and consulting for SMEs and small business owners affected by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic will continue. As digital media literacy becomes increasingly important in a contactless society, tailored media education by life cycle for the entire population will be expanded, and media capabilities of out-of-school youth and students with disabilities will be enhanced to prevent media exclusion.

The KCC stated, "As this is the first budget of the new government, we plan to actively respond during the National Assembly review process to ensure that the government budget proposal is reflected as intended for the successful implementation of national agendas."