The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST; Korean: 문화체육관광부) is a central government agency of South Korea responsible for the areas of tourism, culture, art, religion, and sports.

It was created to invest in and support the entertainment industry, as Korea needed new areas of growth in the wake of the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s.

[7] The government believes that promoting Korean pop culture would improve people's view of the country and help with business and tourism.

[9] In 2012 the Ministry established an advisory committee on how to sustain the Korean wave (Hallyu).

[10] The ministry has justified its Hallyu budget by linking it to Korea's "export-led economic development".