Youth Culture and Arts Pass available through year-end; expansion to ages 19–34 planned for next year

[Financial News] This year’s grants under the Youth Culture and Arts Pass, which supports attendance at performances, exhibitions and movies and the purchase of books, can be used through the end of the year. Starting next year, the government plans to expand eligibility to people aged 19 to 34 and support cultural activities every year.
According to Arts Council Korea (ARKO) on the 22nd, this year’s eligible recipients for the Youth Culture and Arts Pass, which is run jointly with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), are people born in 2006 and 2007. The grant is 150,000 won per person in the capital region and 200,000 won outside the capital region.
The grant can be used for plays, musicals, concerts, art exhibitions, movie attendance and book purchases. Users can check their remaining balance and the eligible works and books on the program’s website and through its nine partner retailers. For performances, exhibitions and movies, the grant can be used for events attended through December 31.
Applications for additional passes will be accepted on the website through November 30. Applications will close early if regional funds run out. The program provides support once in a person’s lifetime, so young people who used their points last year are not eligible to apply.
Young people currently serving in the military can also use the grant. With cooperation from the Ministry of National Defense, ARKO provides guidance on purchasing books or visiting local performance venues and movie theaters during outings, overnight leave or vacation.
The government’s proposed 2027 budget, announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last month, includes a plan to expand the program as the “Youth Culture Pass.” The proposal is to allow young people aged 19 to 34 to apply every year and add sports activities to the eligible fields.
A budget proposal has been drawn up to increase related funding from 36.1 billion won this year to 792.5 billion won next year. The aim is to shift from a system that provides support once at a specific age to one that supports cultural activities throughout young adulthood. The final program scale and details will be confirmed following the National Assembly’s budget review and subsequent plans.

[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter