financial support of artists increased. In 2013, the Ministry allocated 319 billion won (US$280 million) for direct support of Hallyu (Korean Wave). Cultural exports increased at an annual rate of 10 percent as a result of these efforts. Ministers 29 February 2008 - 26 January 2011 Yu In-chon (유인촌) 27 January 2011 - 19 September 2011 Choung Byoung-gug (정병국) 2 September 2011 - 10 March 2013 Choe Kwang-shik (최광식) 11 March 2013 - 16 July 2014 Yoo Jin-ryong August 21, 2014 – September 4, 2016 Kim Jong-deok 5 September 2016 – 21 January 2017 Cho Yoon-sun 10 June 2017– 3 April 2019 Do Jong-hwan 3 April 2019 - 10 February 2021 Park Yang-woo 11 February 2021 - present Hwang Hee Korean Culture and Information Service The Korean Culture and Information Service is a department of the MCST that aims to bring Korean culture closer to the rest of the world while improving the national image of Korea. It is also responsible for setting up more than 20 Korean Cultural Centers around the world. Criticisms Despite the large amounts of money the government provides for Hallyu, the K-Pop industry, the most internationally well-known part of Hallyu has criticized the Ministry's efforts. Many industries such as fashion and food have lobbied the government for inclusion in the Hallyu budget, and politicians and the bureaucracy also have varying interests in how the budget is distributed. Despite popular internet speculation on the Korean government's financial support for the promotion of K-Pop, there are no figures to substantiate the speculation. In 2013, of the $230 million allocated for Hallyu, there are itemized contributions to the promotion of the Korean language, culture and food but no known figures for allocations directly to K-Pop. Independent of financial support in recent years the Ministry has been successful in reversing decades-long governmental policy of suppressing and jailing pop and gayo artists in favor of supporting K-Pop as a driver of Hallyu overseas. See also Korean Film Council Korea Copyright Commission Notes and references External links South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism official website South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism official website Government ministries of South Korea S S S