| 문화체육관광부 | |
_(horizontal).svg) | |
.jpg) MCST headquarters in Sejong City | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 29, 2008[1] |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Jurisdiction | Government of South Korea |
| Headquarters | Sejong City,South Korea |
| Annual budget | ₩7.067 trillion (US$4.9 billion) (FY2025)[2] |
| Minister responsible | |
| Deputy Ministers responsible |
|
| Child agency | |
| Website | mcst.go.kr |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 문화체육관광부 |
| Hanja | 文化體育觀光部 |
| RR | Munhwa cheyuk gwangwangbu |
| MR | Munhwa ch'eyuk kwan'gwangbu |
TheMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST;Korean: 문화체육관광부) is acentral government agency ofSouth 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 novelistLee O-young.[3] Subsidiary entities such as theNational Museum, theNational Theater, and theNational Library are under the Ministry.
The headquarters are located in the Sejong Government Complex inSejong City.[4] The headquarters were previously inJongno District,Seoul.[5]
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism was originally a sub-organization of theMinistry 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.[6]
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.[7]
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.[8] The government believes that promoting Korean pop culture would improve people's view of the country and help with business and tourism.[9]
The Ministry developed theKorea Open Government License (KOGL), a copyright license that allows for the use and distribution of public materials.[10]
In 2012 the Ministry established an advisory committee on how to sustain theKorean wave (Hallyu).[9] In 2013, the Ministry allocated 319 billion won (US$280 million) to supportHallyu.[11]
The ministry has justified itsHallyu 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.[11]
Some in the K-pop industry have criticized the ministry for not directly supporting K-pop while fattening related industries such asHangul,K-drama,Korean food, fashion, sports, and traditional folk music. These interest groups that have been lobbying the government for inclusion in theHallyu budget.[11]
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | President | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (2008-present) | ||||||
| 44 |  | Yu In-chon | 29 February 2008 | 26 January 2011 | 2 years, 332 days | Lee Myung-bak |
| 45 |  | Choung Byoung-gug | 27 January 2011 | 16 September 2011 | 232 days | |
| 46 | .jpg) | Choe Kwang-shik | 17 September 2011 | 10 March 2013 | 1 year, 174 days | |
| 47 |  | Yoo Jin-ryong[12][13][14] | 11 March 2013 | 16 July 2014 | 1 year, 127 days | Park Geun-hye |
| 48 |  | Kim Jong-deok[15] | 20 August 2014 | 4 September 2016 | 2 years, 15 days | |
| 49 |  | Cho Yoon-sun[16][17][18] | 5 September 2016 | 20 January 2017 | 137 days | |
| 50 |  | Do Jong-hwan[19] | 16 June 2017 | 2 April 2019 | 1 year, 290 days | Moon Jae-in |
| 51 |  | Park Yang-woo | 3 April 2019 | 10 February 2021 | 1 year, 313 days | |
| 52 |  | Hwang Hee | 11 February 2021 | 12 May 2022 | 1 year, 90 days | |
| 53 | .jpg) | Park Bo-gyoon | 13 May 2022 | 7 October 2023 | 1 year, 147 days | Yoon Suk-yeol |
| 54 |  | Yu In-chon[20][21] | 7 October 2023 | 29 July 2025 | 1 year, 295 days | |
| 55 | .jpg) | Choi Hwi-young [ko] | July 31 2025 | Incumbent | 116 days | Lee Jae Myung |
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is organized as follows:
| Bureau/Office | Director/Counselor Office | Department/Division |
|---|---|---|
| Subordinate Organizations under the Minister | ||
| Spokesperson's Office | Public Relations Officer / Digital Communication Team[a] | |
| Inspector General's Office[b] | Audit Officer | |
| Minister's Policy Advisor Office[c] | ||
| Subordinate Organizations under the First Vice Minister | ||
| 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[d] |
| 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[e] | |
| 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[b] | Restoration Cooperation Division / Restoration Facilities Division | |
| Cheong Wa Dae Management and Utilization Promotion Team | Cheong Wa Dae Management and Utilization Planning Division | |
| Subordinate Organizations under the Second Vice Minister | ||
| 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[b] | Digital Communication Policy Division / Digital Communication Planning Division[b] / Policy Portal Division / Digital Communication Production Division[b] | |
| Sports Bureau | Sports Policy Division / Sports Promotion Division / Sports Industry Division | |
| Sports Cooperation Officer | International Sports Division / Sports for the Disabled Division[b] / Sports Heritage Team[f] | |
| 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 | |
TheKorean 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.[22]
| 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 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
