Animation funding stands out as the one area cut in next year's culture budget, prompting a range of interpretations. Some pointed to animation being treated as a lower priority than the film industry the government has emphasized, while others traced the problem to the structure of animation support itself.
At the fourth meeting of the animation subcommittee of the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee, held on the 13th at the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno District, Seoul, participants said the industry has voiced considerable dissatisfaction because the government's draft budget reduces animation spending for next year.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, animation-related spending next year comes to 33.8 billion won, down 5.2 billion won from 39 billion won this year. An already modest budget has been reduced further. The ministry's overall budget is set to rise 22.6% next year, which has deepened the industry's frustration. The film sector, which the animation industry consistently uses as its benchmark, is due for a 30.8% increase, adding to the sense of relative deprivation.
Minister Choi Hwi-young said the sharp expansion of content funds next year has left the animation budget relatively constrained, and that the ministry shares the disappointment. The government plans to create a global league fund next year and commit 100 billion won exclusively to film, video and animation.
As an alternative, some argued for wider use of the Film Development Fund. Advisory committee members said animation films accounted for 26.9% of the 24 billion won in total Film Development Fund levies collected from the film market in 2025, yet none of that money has gone to supporting animation production, which they described as a problem.
The difficulty is that the support system for animation differs from that for film. Animation spans both film and non-film works, which creates some confusion. Just as domestic audiovisual works are divided into films and non-film video content, animation is divided into animated films and non-film animation such as television productions. Under the current structure for supporting cultural content, the Korean Film Council oversees support for films while the Korea Creative Content Agency handles non-film video content. For animation, however, the content agency is responsible for both animated films and non-film animation.
That is why animation receives only a small share of support from the Film Development Fund, which the Korean Film Council operates and manages. The minister said he would work to secure additional animation funding during National Assembly deliberations and would also review the use of the Film Development Fund.
Participants also called for stronger links between webtoons and animation, noting that the number of films and video works based on webtoons is growing.