Youth Culture Pass Allows Book Purchases, But Hurdles Remain High

South Korea's Youth Culture and Arts Pass, initially limited to cultural performances and events, will now include book purchases starting in August. This expansion, while welcomed by the publishing and bookstore industries, comes with significant restrictions that critics argue undermine its purpose. The pass, which offers subsidies of 150,000 won (Seoul) and 200,000 won (non-Seoul), now caps book purchases at 20% of the total subsidy, meaning users can only spend 30,000 to 40,000 won on books. This limitation is not applied to other cultural activities and differs from the Korea Culture and Arts Foundation's Munhwanuricaru card, which has no such cap.

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This business, which was implemented nationwide starting in 2024, is a welcome development, albeit late.

The purchasing channels are also limited to online platforms like Yes24 and the local bookstore platform SeojumON. This setup makes it difficult for users to purchase books directly from physical bookstores, requiring pre-payment through SeojumON. Furthermore, the policy excludes reference books, practical guides, and children's and youth literature, allowing only general and academic books with ISBNs. This narrow scope raises concerns about whether the pass genuinely enhances youth's access to books and promotes reading culture, especially given the declining national reading rates.

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It is questionable how much this will help young people's access to books, with layered entry barriers such as limits on the purchase ratio, usage method, and scope of use.

The article draws parallels with international "Culture Pass" programs in countries like Italy and France, where book purchases are consistently the most popular use. Taiwan's program, which provides cultural points to all youth, has significantly boosted its publishing market. In contrast, South Korea's initial implementation of the pass by the previous administration focused solely on performances, deliberately excluding book purchases. Critics argue that these restrictions on youth's cultural choices reflect administrative convenience rather than a genuine effort to foster cultural engagement and a sophisticated consumer base.

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This is far from cultural policy that should promote publishing and create a bookstore-friendly environment while worrying about the decline in national reading rates.