Ministry of Culture Loses NT$1 Billion Budget: Minister Lee Yuan Says KMT Hates Taiwanese Culture

On the 14th, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed the 2026 central government budget in its third reading. The Ministry of Culture's administered budget was cut by approximately NT$1 billion, with NT$386 million frozen. Notably, all NT$47.38 million in media promotion funding was completely eliminated, affecting institutions such as Public Television Service (PTS), TaiwanPlus, and the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA).

Minister of Culture Lee Yuan stated on the 15th that these cuts and freezes would harm cultural workers and Taiwan's ability to speak internationally. He cited the phrase, 'To destroy a nation, first destroy its history; to destroy a people, first destroy their culture; to silence a people, first cut their media promotion budget,' to describe the budget reductions.

The Ministry of Culture's 2026 administered budget totals approximately NT$29.6 billion, less than 1% of the central government's total budget. The cuts and freezes are concentrated on PTS (NT$321.85 million), TaiwanPlus (NT$220 million), and TAICCA (over NT$100 million). This marks the second consecutive year that the Ministry's media promotion budget has been entirely eliminated.

Lee Yuan explained that opposition parties interpret media promotion funds as 'government propaganda' or 'media patronage,' but in reality, these funds are used to promote Ministry of Culture events and policies. For example, after expanding the Cultural Voucher program to include 13- to 15-year-olds, promotional efforts are needed to inform eligible recipients how to claim and use the vouchers. With the elimination of promotion funds, the dissemination of such information will inevitably be affected.

He lamented, 'To destroy a nation, first destroy its history; to destroy a people, first destroy their culture; to silence a people, first cut their media promotion budget.' Lee believes the Ministry has been targeted for two consecutive years, indicating a 'terrifying logic and plan' behind the actions. He bluntly stated, 'The KMT doesn't hate me—they hate all of Taiwan's culture.'

PTS's budget was reduced by NT$21.85 million and NT$300 million was frozen, with NT$200 million contingent upon the appointment of a new chairman for the 8th board and the Ministry submitting a special report approved by the Legislative Yuan. The proposal came from KMT legislators who argued that since the 7th board's term has expired but a new board has not been formed, part of the funding should be frozen.

The Ministry countered that the Executive Yuan has already requested the Legislative Yuan to provide a list of PTS board review committee members, but the Legislative Yuan has not responded. Without a review committee, a new board cannot be formed, making the defrosting conditions effectively equivalent to a substantive budget deletion.

Regarding TaiwanPlus, approximately NT$220 million was cut or frozen. The Taiwan People's Party caucus argued that its operational performance has been poor and demanded that the Ministry submit a report on organizational reform and performance improvement. Lee Yuan responded that public media production funding was already insufficient, and these cuts would weaken audiovisual production capacity and harm Taiwan's voice in the international community.

Lee Yuan noted that TAICCA's annual budget is about NT$700 million, with many contracts already signed for second-half activities such as films, television, comics, literature, publishing, and overseas exhibitions. With over NT$100 million in budget cuts, there is a risk of affecting payments for contracted projects and exhibition balances.

Additionally, Lee Yuan's personal special allowance of NT$1.17 million was entirely eliminated. He stated that he does not typically engage in social events, and the allowance was primarily used for rewarding model workers and covering wedding, funeral, and celebratory expenses—not for personal gain. He emphasized that the ultimate victims of the budget cuts and freezes are not ministers, but local cultural workers, cultural groups, and public media in Taiwan.

Despite the significant budget cuts and freezes, Lee Yuan stated he will not give up. He plans to continue promoting cultural policies through public speeches and social media platforms, saying, 'I feel like I'm in a final, desperate battle.'