"Sales in Korea's ten-field cultural industry (publishing, cartoon, music, gaming, film, animation, broadcasting, advertising, character designing, digital education and information) reached KRW 53,948.1 billion in 2006, a 7.8 % increase compared to that of the previous year. This is about twice as large as Korea's economic growth rate, demonstrating the potential of high growth in the country's cultural sector".
According to 2006 White Paper on Cultural Industry, recently published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Minister: Kim, Jong-Min), sales figures have shown consistent growth each year from KRW 44,195.8 billion in 2003, to KRW 50,060.1billion in 2004, and KRW 53,948.1billion in 2005.
Korea's cultural industry currently occupied 6.65% of the GDP in 2005, with a contribution ratio of 2.38%. Considering that the cultural industry's contribution ratio to GDP is at par with major countries, like the USA (6.56 % in 2005) and the UK (7.3% in 2004), cultural growth only proves to be very much within reach.
The report, led by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, was also made possible through the help of major associated organizations, such as the Korea Culture and Content Agency, the Korea Press Foundation, the Korea Broadcasting Insititute, the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation, the Korea Game Industry Agency, and the Korea Publishing Institute. The paper examined the trends of Korean cultural industry in 2006 from the viewpoint of previous and current performances, as well as future forecasts.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that it would "promote its 2007 policy based on the consolidation of infrastructure policy, which will lead the epochal advancement of the nation's cultural industry, as the ministry's top priority". To achieve this goal, the ministry proposed the following as its measures: a. promotional and nurturing vision on the content; b. revisions of laws and systems and the promotion of good quality content appropriate to the digital environment; and c. consolidation of technological foundations through the strategic nurturing of advanced cultural technologies.
2006 White Paper on Cultural Industry (Korean) can be downloaded from the Ministry's website (Open the link) or purchased at major bookstores nationwide.
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