The ministry is the co-organizer of the "Culture Day" campaign along with the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment.

A total of 242 young artists on 88 teams were chosen through auditions for the program out of 978 applicants on 288 teams, the ministry said. They represent various genres of performing arts ranging from traditional Korean music to jazz, hip-hop and B-boy dance.

This Wednesday, 42 of the selected teams will perform at 15 different venues, including streets, public squares, conventional markets and outdoor performance halls across the country.

The chosen teams will receive 2-2.5 million won ($1,691-2,113) in subsidies from the government every time they perform, according to ministry officials.

The "Culture Day" initiative kicked off in January 2014 with an aim of helping South Koreans more easily enjoy cultural events by offering various benefits including discounts for entrance fees at museums, sports games, movies, theaters and exhibitions. For example, moviegoers can enjoy a movie at a local cinema for 5,000 won, a 45-percent discount from the usual 9,000 won.

The campaign is in line with the government's efforts to create a virtuous cycle of increasing people's consumption of cultural products which, in turn, can boost the growth of the industry and eventually help improve the overall quality of life. The measures can also help the local job market.

Meanwhile, about 2,150 events are scheduled to take place around the country on the last Wednesday of this month.

A discount will be offered to visitors to an exhibition of paintings by renowned Korean artist Lee Jung-seop at the Deoksu Palace branch in central Seoul.

An exhibition of successive South Korean presidents' dinnerware is available free of charge at the Korean Craft Museum in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.

At the Gyeongju Arts Center, there will be no admission charged for an exhibition of Sohn Il-bong, a Korean painter known for pine tree-themed works.

In addition, tickets to the baseball game between the Samsung Lions and Lotte Giants at Busan's Sajik Stadium will be available at 50-percent the original price.

Residents of Jeju will be given a 50-percent discount for tickets to the football match between Jeju United and Suwon FC to be held at the Jeju World Cup Stadium. (Yonhap)