150 Billion Won ‘National Growth Fund’ to be Created to Foster K-Culture

[비즈한국] A large-scale fund of 150 billion won will be created to invest in the advancement of K-Culture. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Financial Services Commission, has decided to launch the "K-Culture Value-Up Fund," which will invest in the overall K-Culture industry, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) content and technology. The call for fund managers was issued on July 22.

The "K-Culture Value-Up Fund" is a national growth fund. It aims to raise over 70 billion won in private capital, building upon 50 billion won in government funding from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and 30 billion won from the Korea Development Bank and the Advanced Strategic Industry Fund. This investment project marks the first instance of the National Growth Fund collaborating with a government ministry’s policy fund to expand and create a larger investment vehicle.

Characters participate in a parade at the ‘Character Licensing Fair 2026’ held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on July 18, taking commemorative photos with children and foreign tourists. A 150 billion won National Growth Fund is being established to invest in K-Culture industries, including the intellectual property (IP) sector. Photo = Reporter Choi Joon-pil

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the "K-Culture Value-Up Fund" will be divided into two sectors: the AI/IP sector and the Content Innovation sector. The AI/IP sector will be established as a 100 billion won fund, investing in K-Culture companies that use AI technology for content planning and production, or those that leverage intellectual property in gaming, video, and music. The Content Innovation sector will be a 50 billion won fund, investing in companies involved in the production and distribution of content.

Proposals for managing the "K-Culture Value-Up Fund" will be accepted from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Wednesday, August 12, with the final fund managers expected to be selected and announced in September. Korea Growth Investment Corp., the manager of the government-funded mother fund, plans to hold an investment briefing session soon.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Financial Services Commission stated that they plan to use this collaboration to maximize the ripple effects of K-Content and support K-Culture in its growth into a leading industry that transcends the domestic market to head the global market.

Kim Kyung-hwa, Director General of the Cultural Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "This fund will serve as a stepping stone for K-Culture, as a national growth engine, to leap into the global market."