[비즈한국] President Lee Jae-myung has emphasized the importance of Korean cultural products, so-called K-Culture, even before taking office. He proposed a 50 trillion won era for cultural exports as a presidential campaign pledge and recently defined culture as the "core of future industries." Perhaps thanks to the government's efforts, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea this year has surged, hitting an all-time high.
While the popularity of K-Culture continues to rise globally, the gap between the rich and the poor in domestic cultural and leisure life is widening. The deepening economic polarization, caused by a frozen job market, rising inflation, and skyrocketing real estate prices, is now affecting cultural and leisure activities as well.
During his state visit to France on September 7, President Lee met with figures from the film industry and emphasized the importance of the cultural sector, stating, "Since the change in government, our approach and thinking regarding K-content have completely transformed," and added, "The current administration considers culture to be the core of future industries."
Indeed, K-Culture is currently sailing with the wind at its back. In the first half of this year, K-pop album exports reached a record-breaking 382.3 billion won, a 125% increase compared to the same period last year. K-food exports surpassed 10 billion dollars on September 10, 19 days earlier than last year. The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea is also soaring.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea from January to August this year reached an all-time high of 15.05 million, a 21.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, the number of visitors in August hit 2.25 million, the highest monthly figure ever recorded. Card spending by foreign tourists in the tourism sector from January to August also reached 14.018 trillion won, a 48.5% surge compared to the same period last year, marking the highest figure since records began.
Although more foreigners are consuming Korean products or visiting Korea to experience Korean culture, the gap between the rich and the poor in domestic cultural and leisure life is becoming extreme. According to the National Data Agency, the monthly average consumption expenditure for the top quintile of households (top 20% by income) in the first quarter of this year was 5,565,601 won, which is 3.8 times higher than that of the bottom quintile (bottom 20% by income), which stood at 1,457,047 won.
This gap in consumption expenditure was even wider in cultural and leisure life. While the average monthly expenditure on entertainment and culture for the top quintile was 411,015 won, it was only 61,942 won for the bottom quintile—a 6.6-fold difference. This means there is a significant disparity in the enjoyment of cultural and artistic performances, sports games, and video content consumption.
Furthermore, food and accommodation expenditures, which are heavily influenced by tourism, showed a 4.6-fold gap, with the top quintile spending 786,839 won compared to 172,081 won for the bottom quintile. In the case of transportation expenditures, the top quintile spent 818,747 won, which is 13.2 times higher than the 61,942 won spent by the bottom quintile. This suggests that for those with low income, even domestic travel is a burden.
Even when participating in leisure activities, the quality varied depending on income level. According to the Science and Technology Policy Institute and the National Data Agency’s microdata, households with higher incomes were more likely to enjoy active leisure activities such as cultural and artistic viewing, artistic activities, and tourism. Among households with a monthly income of less than 2 million won, only 5.1% participated in such active leisure activities with others on weekdays, whereas for households with a monthly income of 6 million won or more, the figure was 20.0%, which is four times higher.
The percentage of people who engage in active leisure activities with others on weekends was also about twice as high for households with a monthly income of 6 million won or more (30.5%) compared to households with a monthly income of less than 2 million won (15.5%). The lower the income level, the poorer the content and quality of leisure activities due to economic constraints.
A trend of reduced outings was also observed among those with lower income levels. In a survey scoring the frequency of outings (1 point = almost never go out, 6 points = go out 5 days or more a week), households with a monthly income of less than 2 million won scored 5.0, while households with a monthly income of 6 million won or more scored higher at 5.7. A lower frequency of outings means living a more isolated life, indicating that group activities and leisure life are shrinking.