Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young Meets Sports Council Chief Yoo Seung-min on Supplementary Budget Follow-Up

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young, left, meets with Korea Sports Council President Yoo Seung-min on the 16th at the council’s headquarters in Seoul to discuss follow-up steps for new and expanded sports projects totaling 23.2 billion won included in the first 2026 supplementary budget. [Photo provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

Choi Hwi-young, minister of culture, sports and tourism, met with Korea Sports Council President Yoo Seung-min on the 16th at the council’s headquarters in Seoul to discuss follow-up measures for major new and expanded sports projects totaling 23.2 billion won in the first 2026 supplementary budget.

The ministry said the funding will be used for projects including an expanded youth sports infrastructure program (up 9.5 billion won); disability sports class vouchers (up 6.2 billion won) that can be used at about 9,500 facilities; and increased sports-activity incentives (up 4.0 billion won) usable at about 86,000 affiliated sports and health merchants.

It also includes additional funding for building training facilities for winter sports (up 3.0 billion won) and rewards for reporting sports ticket scalping (up 500 million won), the ministry said.

Choi said he hopes the supplementary budget will help expand jobs in the sports sector and spur consumption, but added that he was disappointed the sports budget did not reflect the sector’s expectations.

He said the ministry will work with the sports community, including the council, to identify needed projects and persuade fiscal authorities so the sports budget can be increased in the 2027 main budget.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon