The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), jointly with the Korean Artists Welfare Foundation, will continue to carry out various welfare programs for artists in 2024. MCST established the Welfare Foundation in 2012 to implement the Art Promotion Act, and has been promoting various welfare programs for artists. This year, MCST has budgeted 106.7 billion KRW for the welfare of artists, providing artists and emerging artists with artistic activity reserve funds and operating various welfare programs for social insurance enrollment, housing, childcare, etc.

First, 23,000 artists earning 120% of the median income (2,674,000 KRW for a single-person household) or less are eligible to receive 3 million KRW in art activity reserve funds. Until last year, the support was divided into the first and second halves, but from this year, it will be provided all at once. It will be paid early so that more artists can receive support quickly and devote themselves to their artistic activities. The application guidelines for this fund will be announced in March through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (www.mcst.go.kr) and the Korean Artists Welfare Foundation’s website (www.kawf.kr).

In addition, 3,000 emerging artists with incomes below 120% of the median income will receive the ‘Emerging Artists’ Art Activity Reserve Fund’. It will provide 2 million KRW to young artists who are newly starting their artistic activities, giving them a boost to establish themselves in the art world as professional artists without giving up on their dreams. Young artists can only benefit from this fund once in their lifetime.

MCST also supports artists’ enrollment in social insurance to create a safe creative environment. It operates an information center for artists to enroll in employment insurance, and supports workers’ compensation insurance premiums (50%) and national pension insurance premiums (30-50%) paid by artists. In August 2023, 60 artist households moved into the ‘Artist-themed public rental housing (Seocho-dong, Seoul)’ in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and this year, 96 additional units will be provided in Bukgajwa-dong, Seoul through an open call for tenants by June 2024.

Two artist childcare centers (in Jongno-gu and Mapo-gu, Seoul) will also remain open to ease the burden of childcare for artists who work mostly on nights and weekends. Artists with children between the ages of 24 months and 10 years can contact each center and make an appointment in advance to receive free childcare support during their artistic activities.