Jeju Island to Invest 215.9 Billion Won in Culture, Sports, and Education Next Year

Expanding Residents' Cultural Rights and Promoting Community Sports
Advancing as a Leading Educational Region through Strengthened Public Education

Jeju Island Government Office

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced on the 23rd that it will invest a total of 215.9 billion KRW in the culture, sports, and education sectors in 2025, an 8.4% increase compared to the previous year. By sector, the investments are 61.6 billion KRW for culture, 36.9 billion KRW for sports, and 117.4 billion KRW for education.

The plan aims to make Jeju a leading region in culture, sports, and education by expanding residents' cultural rights, promoting community sports, and strengthening public education.

In 2025, 61.6 billion KRW will be allocated to the culture sector. This is a 51% increase from the previous year, and the province plans to create a happier Jeju through the expansion of local cultural infrastructure, fostering the cultural content industry, supporting cultural and artistic activities, and enhancing welfare for artists.

Key projects include 21.1 billion KRW for the preservation of Jeju language and the creation of an art platform, as well as the discovery of unique local culture and expansion of cultural infrastructure. An additional 10.2 billion KRW will be invested to secure growth engines for the cultural industry, such as supporting global cultural content production. Furthermore, 12.5 billion KRW has been allocated for hosting cultural events like the Tamna Cultural Festival and Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival, and for regional specialization projects, to realize a Jeju that is enjoyed through culture.

In particular, the province will fully implement the Jeju-style artist welfare system, a key pledge of the 8th popularly elected administration. A 2 billion KRW 'Artist Welfare Fund' will be established to support customized creative activities for senior, mid-career, and emerging artists according to their life stages and to improve their working conditions.

Additionally, to vitalize cultural facilities in towns and villages, extra points will be awarded during project evaluations to organizations carrying out projects in these areas, and participation of national and provincial cultural and artistic organizations in subsidy projects will be restricted, thereby promoting balanced cultural development across regions.

In the sports sector, 36.9 billion KRW will be invested to create an environment for community sports, expand public sports facilities closely connected to residents, and support domestic and international sports competitions. The plan aims to simultaneously enhance residents' health and revitalize the local economy.

Looking at the detailed investment plan, 22.6 billion KRW has been allocated for the operation of the Sports Council and support for workplace sports teams, as well as for sports promotion and exchanges. 5 billion KRW will be invested in the installation and maintenance of public sports facilities, and 9.3 billion KRW will be used to host and support domestic and international sports competitions and events.

As new initiatives, 700 million KRW will be invested in the 'One Student, One Sport Education' program for elementary school students in the province, and 200 million KRW will be provided to support on- and offline e-sports competitions. The province will also strengthen support for community sports activities by expanding the National Sports Promotion Fund. Notably, starting in 2025, sports events for people with disabilities will be separated from the Provincial Sports Festival and held independently as the 'Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Sports Festival for the Disabled.' This measure, aimed at preparing for the 2026 National Sports Festival for the Disabled and improving the performance of athletes with disabilities, will receive 140 million KRW in funding.

A total of 117.4 billion KRW will be invested in the education sector. This investment aims to develop Jeju into a leading region for educational innovation by establishing a lifelong learning system and strengthening support for public education. Of this, 112.8 billion KRW has been allocated for supporting school meal expenses and school site charges to enhance the competitiveness of public education. Another 4.3 billion KRW will be invested in operating Jeju Provincial University and promoting lifelong education, while 300 million KRW will go toward the English Education City project to create a global educational environment.

Jeju Provincial University will expand educational opportunities in towns and villages by utilizing idle spaces in Nonghyup and will operate programs in connection with the local community, such as hosting a university festival, with a budget of 780 million KRW. In 2025, a new project called 'Jeju Value Empathy Learncation,' which combines education and vacation, will be introduced with an investment of 200 million KRW.

Kim Yangbo, Director of the Culture, Sports, and Education Bureau of Jeju Province, said, "By expanding the budget for culture, sports, and education in 2025, we will improve the quality of life for residents and develop Jeju into a city of cultural happiness, a sports mecca, and a lifelong learning city," adding, "We will promote policies based on communication with residents to ensure that these investments lead to revitalization of the local economy."