The objective of this study is, firstly, to fathom the level of recreational activities in
Korea in coherent cross-national comparison of expenditures for such activities, and
secondly, to provide basic numerical information necessary for policies and researches
related to recreational activities based on the analysis of the structure of
expenditure. First of all, the System of National Accounts was examined, and then
the range and calculation of expenses for recreational and cultural activities were
defined. In combination of the scales of governmental and household expenditures,
the level and structure of expenses for recreational and cultural activities were
comparatively analyzed. As a result of this research, it turned out that the level of
expenditure for recreational and cultural activities in Korea was lower than the
average among OECD member countries. In particular, the level of expenditure of
the Korean government was in the lower ranks among OECD member countries. In
fact, the household expenditure for recreational and cultural activities was not quite
different from the average among OECD member countries, but the general level of
expenditure of Korea remained in the lower ranks among the countries because
governmental support for recreational and cultural activities was at a comparatively
low level among OECD members. To increase the level of expenditure for
recreational and cultural activities, first of all, the direction of related policies needs
to be established, and a variety of ways to reduce working hours and enhance the
quality of life also need to be sought.