The government and the music industry are joining forces to ensure the sustainable growth of Korean popular music. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will hold a field roundtable to strengthen the music industry ecosystem on Monday afternoon, chaired by Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young and attended by music agencies and related associations.
According to the ministry, the popular music sector has shown growth on the back of world-class K-pop artists such as the group BTS. As of 2025, popular music recorded the highest year-on-year growth rates in both revenue (15.4%) and exports (32.4%) among K-content categories.
However, the industry has raised concerns that the sector's growth rate could slow due to structural factors, including continued rising production costs, genre concentration, widening gaps between companies, a shortage of performance infrastructure, and regional imbalances.
The government first launched the "Global Leap Support for Small and Mid-Sized Agencies" project, which supported 10 teams this year, to invigorate small and mid-sized agencies that form the backbone of the music industry. It is also pursuing financing measures, including the introduction of a new tax credit for music production and the establishment of loans for mid-sized and small businesses. The ministry explained that it is also making efforts to foster indie music, which not only serves as the foundation of the music industry by nurturing diverse genres and new artists, but also plays a role as a pillar of local culture by holding performances rooted in regional communities.
Music agencies including Mystic Story, CAM WITH US, RBW, FNC Entertainment, and EMA, along with related associations such as the Korea Music Content Association, the Korea Popular Music Performance Industry Association, and the Korea Music Label Industry Association, will attend the roundtable.
"We plan to work to swiftly realize the policies that the field actually wants through discussions with the industry," the ministry said.
