Minister Choi Hwiyoung: "Traditional Culture to Be Fostered as a Core Growth Engine for K-Content"

Meeting with Young Entrepreneurs at the Today Traditional Festival Site

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that Minister Choi Hwiyoung visited the S Factory, a complex cultural space in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 25th, where the '2025 Today Traditional Festival' is being held, and held a meeting with young entrepreneurs in the traditional culture industry.

Minister Choi stated that the ministry will support the sustainable growth of the traditional culture industry and foster traditional culture as a next-generation K-content growth engine, following in the footsteps of K-pop and dramas.

The meeting was attended by young entrepreneurs and experts from various fields such as traditional crafts, Hanbok, and Hanji. They presented a range of opinions, including support for developing sales channels and overseas expansion of traditional cultural products, expanding financial support for startups in the early stages, and strengthening the planning and investment of traditional cultural content.

Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is explaining the support plan for traditional industries at the meeting with young entrepreneurs in the traditional culture industry held on the 25th at the complex cultural space S Factory in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

One young entrepreneur remarked, "It is difficult for the traditional culture industry to achieve results in a short period," and added, "We hope for the government's continued support so that young entrepreneurs can uphold the value of tradition while also demonstrating creativity."

In response, Minister Choi emphasized, "Now is a golden opportunity for K-culture to expand its influence on the global stage," and added, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will focus its policy efforts on supporting the growth, distribution, and promotion of traditional culture companies, so that they do not halt their progress due to a lack of funds or limited sales channels."

The ministry plans to increase next year's budget related to the traditional culture industry from 30.2 billion won this year to 34.8 billion won next year, strengthening tailored support for field demands such as supporting startups and the growth of businesses related to tradition, as well as expanding domestic and overseas sales channels.

Prior to the meeting, Minister Choi toured the Today Traditional Festival and encouraged event staff. Now in its third year, the Today Traditional Festival was established to promote the modern inheritance and industrial expansion of traditional culture. Over 50 traditional culture companies and organizations are participating, showcasing a variety of content such as Hanbok, traditional crafts, and traditional foods. Visitors can also enjoy special exhibitions that reinterpret tradition, performances blending K-pop and tradition, and hands-on experiences with traditional games. The festival runs through the 28th in the S Factory area.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.