Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Expanding 2027 Budget for Youth and Adolescent Sports Activities to Support Healthy Growth

*This content was translated by AI.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Choi Hwi-young, hereinafter Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) announced on the 9th that the 2027 budget for supporting youth and adolescent sports activities has been set at 183.9 billion won.

This represents an increase of 64.1 billion won (53.5%) compared to the 2026 regular budget of 119.8 billion won, with the budget for general youth and adolescent support programs increasing by approximately four times (318.6%) from the previous year.

While childhood and adolescence are key life stages for forming lifelong exercise habits, physical activity levels among Korean youth and adolescents remain significantly below those of other age groups and recommended standards, necessitating expanded support for participation in sports activities to establish a foundation for healthy growth.

Accordingly, through the 2027 budget plan, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will substantially expand support for general youth and adolescent sports activities, including programs for infants and sport-specific initiatives; identify various vulnerable groups to provide sports class usage vouchers; and enhance support for sports activities targeting disabled youth and adolescents through programs and class vouchers, among other diverse sports support projects to foster healthy growth.

To enable youth and adolescents to participate in a wide range of sports activities, the number of sports programs supported by sport federations specifically for youth and adolescents will be significantly increased (from 10 to 36). Each federation plans to develop customized sports programs tailored for easy participation by youth and adolescents and disseminate them through sports clubs.

Additionally, in regions experiencing population decline where opportunities for sports activities are relatively scarce, life sports instructors and sports instructors will visit kindergartens and daycare centers to newly operate "infant-friendly sports classes" customized for infants.

Previously, sports class usage vouchers (providing 105,000 won per month for sports class fees) were supported only for low-income households; in 2027, the support will be extended to include families with three or more children, North Korean defectors, and youth and adolescents in population decline regions.

Furthermore, sports experience events will be held to enable youth and adolescents in areas lacking sports facilities, such as island and mountainous regions, to easily participate in sports classes. More detailed information regarding eligibility and application procedures for sports class usage vouchers will be announced later through the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and each local government.

To broaden participation opportunities in life sports for people with disabilities, including youth and adolescents, support for sports class usage vouchers will be expanded. The number of beneficiaries was previously 26,000; starting in 2027, it will increase to 32,000.

The customized life sports program support project for disabled youth and adolescents, newly established through the 2026 supplementary budget, will continue and be expanded in 2027. By utilizing local facilities such as schools, Bandabi Sports Centers, and welfare institutions, 800 programs tailored to disability types and age groups will be disseminated to support consistent participation of disabled youth and adolescents in sports activities in their daily lives.

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*This content was translated by AI.