According to the ‘2025 Survey on Corporate Support for the Arts,’ released by the Korea Mecenat Association on June 30, total corporate support for arts and culture in Korea amounted to approximately KRW 196.9 billion in 2025, marking the first year-on-year decline in three years.
 
The figure represents a 7.4 percent decrease from the previous year's total, falling by approximately KRW 12.52 billion. It also brings to an end the upward trend in corporate arts funding that had continued since 2022.
 
The survey covered 737 organizations, including Korea's 500 largest companies by revenue and corporate-funded cultural foundations. While both the number of supporting companies (728) and the number of sponsorship cases (2,392) increased compared with the previous year, the total value of corporate support fell by 7.4 percent to KRW 196.879 billion.

The overall decline in corporate arts sponsorship was largely driven by reduced investment in cultural infrastructure, including performance venues. Support for the infrastructure sector totaled approximately KRW 110.6 billion, down 7.9 percent from the previous year.
 
Funding for the visual arts and exhibitions sector also fell by 27.7 percent, reflecting, among other factors, a contraction in sponsorship from the retail industry. Corporate support likewise declined for classical music (-4.8%) and arts education (-9.8%), largely due to the completion of several long-running corporate-funded projects.
 
In contrast, corporate funding increased for original musicals (85.2%), theater (27.0%), film and media arts (20.2%), and alternative and interdisciplinary arts (11.0%). Despite these gains, however, these sectors continued to account for only a relatively small share of total corporate arts sponsorship.

Among individual companies, Hyundai Department Store ranked first in corporate arts sponsorship for the first time, recording the largest amount of cultural support.
 
The company actively operates exhibitions, performances, and educational programs through venues including ALT.1 Museum, Gallery H, the Hyundai Museum of Kids' Books & Art, and its cultural halls. It also continues to support the arts through collaborations with artists on design products and the development of cultural spaces.
 
Among corporate-funded cultural foundations, the Samsung Foundation of Culture retained its position as the largest supporter of the arts for another consecutive year. Through the Leeum Museum of Art and the Hoam Museum of Art, the foundation continues to present major exhibitions that highlight contemporary artistic practice alongside exhibitions of significant art-historical value.
 
It also supports a broad range of cultural initiatives through its multidisciplinary venue Sound S, which hosts distinctive programs including classical music concerts and traditional performances.
 
Commenting on the findings, the Korea Mecenat Association stated, "Corporate support for the arts contracted amid increased economic uncertainty, prompting companies to become more selective in allocating sponsorship." The association added that "the time has come to expand effective policy measures—such as tax incentives for corporate arts sponsors—to encourage greater private-sector investment in arts and culture."

References

• 한국메세나협회, 2025년도 기업 문화예술 지원 현황 조사 (Korea Mecenat Association, 2025 Survey on Corporate Support for The Arts)
• 서울경제, 기업 문화예술 지원 총 1969억 원…3년 만에 감소, 2026.07.01