The average annual income of artists in 2023 was merely 41.3% of the national per capita income of 25.54 million won. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 7 (Korea Bizwire) — A new government survey has revealed the stark economic reality faced by artists in South Korea, with average annual earnings from artistic activities amounting to just 10.55 million won, highlighting the urgent need for more stable income structures in the arts sector.
According to the “2024 Survey on Artists’ Status” released on March 6 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, the average annual income of artists in 2023 was merely 41.3% of the national per capita income of 25.54 million won.
The financial disparities extend to household income, with artists’ households earning an average of 45.9 million won annually, approximately 22 million won less than the national household average of 67.62 million won.
The survey exposed significant income disparities across artistic disciplines. While architects (42.61 million won), cartoonists (26.84 million won), and broadcasting/entertainment professionals (24.85 million won) earned over 20 million won annually, other fields fell far short. Musicians (9.01 million won), dancers (8.02 million won), visual artists (6.03 million won), writers (4.54 million won), and photographers (3.34 million won) earned less than 10 million won per year.
The economic challenges have forced many artists to seek additional employment, with only 52.5% working exclusively in their artistic field. Among full-time artists, 61.7% said they worked as freelancers, and just 29.1% reported earning income from copyrighted works.
The study also revealed that 23% of artists experienced career interruptions lasting more than a year, primarily due to insufficient income (65.5%). Childbirth and childcare accounted for 13.9% of career breaks.
Regarding professional practices, 57.3% of artists reported having experience with formal contracts, with 86.6% of these being written agreements and 13.4% verbal. About 7.3% reported experiencing unfair contract practices, including forced changes to contract terms (63%) and refusal, delay, or limitation of proper revenue sharing (38.3%).
The survey also highlighted gender disparities in the arts sector, with 19.2% of respondents indicating that women face more discrimination than men, while 8.3% perceived discrimination against men. Younger respondents were more likely to report gender inequality, while perceptions of gender equality increased with age.
The survey, mandated by the Artist Welfare Law to be conducted every three years, included 5,059 artists across 17 cities and provinces. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews, online surveys, and telephone interviews between December 2023 and January 2024, focusing on the 2023 calendar year.
Detailed findings will be available next month on the Ministry’s Cultural Statistics Portal and the Culture and Arts Knowledge Information System websites.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
