South Korean television
Encyclopedia
In South Korea
, there are a number of national television network
s, the three largest of which are KBS, MBC
, and SBS. Most of the major television studios are located on Yeouido
--an island in middle of the Han River
--in Seoul
.
Television introduced in South Korea in 1961 with KBS-TV.
Important genres of television shows include serial dramas (soap opera
s), historical dramas, variety show
s, game show
s, news program
s, and documentaries
. All three networks have produced increasingly lavish historical dramas in recent years. Some South Korean television programs are available on satellite and multicultural channels in North America
. Korean dramas have become popular in other East Asia
n and Southeast Asia
n countries, with whole sets of videotape
s or DVD
s of series available, complete with Chinese
subtitles.
Shopping channel
s have become quite popular in recent years as well, and the models sometimes put on entertaining acts during product pitches.
There are many cable operators in South Korea, such as Tbroad, C&M, and CJ. The cable TV subscriber is approximately 14 million. The cable operator provides TPS to its subscribers.
, there are four nationwide television networks, three general networks and one educational network as follows:
channels. Furthermore, all of them are the official digital television
and DMB
providers of the nation (since 2005, approved by the Korean Government
).
SBS is responsible in distributing its programming content nationally, but is not responsible for producing local content aired by their affiliates.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, there are a number of national television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s, the three largest of which are KBS, MBC
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, and SBS. Most of the major television studios are located on Yeouido
Yeouido
Yeouido is a large island in the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main business and investment banking district. Its 8.4 square kilometers are home to some 30,988 people. The island is located in the Yeongdeungpo-gu district of Seoul, and largely corresponds to the precinct of...
--an island in middle of the Han River
Han River (Korea)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...
--in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Television introduced in South Korea in 1961 with KBS-TV.
Important genres of television shows include serial dramas (soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s), historical dramas, variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s, game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s, news program
News program
A news program, news programme, news show, or newscast is a regularly scheduled radio or television program that reports current events. News is typically reported in a series of individual stories that are presented by one or more anchors...
s, and documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. All three networks have produced increasingly lavish historical dramas in recent years. Some South Korean television programs are available on satellite and multicultural channels in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Korean dramas have become popular in other East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n countries, with whole sets of videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
s or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s of series available, complete with Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
subtitles.
Shopping channel
Shopping channel
Shopping channels are television specialty channels that present shopping related content, particularly for home shopping enthusiasts.-USA:* America's Store* Home Shopping Network* Jewelry Television* QVC* Shop at Home Network* ShopNBC...
s have become quite popular in recent years as well, and the models sometimes put on entertaining acts during product pitches.
There are many cable operators in South Korea, such as Tbroad, C&M, and CJ. The cable TV subscriber is approximately 14 million. The cable operator provides TPS to its subscribers.
National networks
In South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, there are four nationwide television networks, three general networks and one educational network as follows:
| Name | Channels (Sudogwon region) |
Channels (Busan region) |
Type | Launch | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Broadcasting System Educational Broadcasting System Educational Broadcasting System or EBS is the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory. Established as KBS 3TV in the 1980's, and became an independent corporation in 2000... (EBS) 교육방송  |
|
Educational Broadcasting System Educational Broadcasting System or EBS is the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory. Established as KBS 3TV in the 1980's, and became an independent corporation in 2000... (Ch. 10-1) |
Public broadcasting | 27 December 1990 | Government of South Korea |
| Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) 한국방송 |
KBS 1TV KBS 1TV, the premier channel of the Korean Broadcasting System, previously known as KBS Television in 1961, is the first TV channel in South Korea. It is also the only non-commercial free-to-air television channel in the country.... (Ch. 9-1) |
KBS 1TV KBS 1TV, the premier channel of the Korean Broadcasting System, previously known as KBS Television in 1961, is the first TV channel in South Korea. It is also the only non-commercial free-to-air television channel in the country.... (Ch. 9-1) |
Public broadcasting | 29 October 1961 | Government of South Korea |
| Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... (MBC) 문화방송 |
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... (Ch. 11-1) |
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... (Ch. 11-1) |
Commercial network | 8 August 1969 | The Foundation of Broadcast Culture The Foundation of Broadcast Culture The Foundation for Broadcast Culture is the only institution dedicated to the promotion of broadcasting in South Korea. Partly to address concerns following the country's 1987 democratic reforms, the National Assembly established the Foundation for Broadcast Culture to insulate MBC from political... & The Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation |
| Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) 에스비에스 / 주식회사  |
|
|
Commercial network | 20 March 1991 | SBS Holdings (The TaeYoung E&C -led Consortium) |
List of television channels
All of them are free-to-airFree-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
channels. Furthermore, all of them are the official digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
and DMB
Digital Multimedia Broadcasting
Digital Multimedia Broadcasting is a digital radio transmission technology developed in South Korea as part of the national IT project for sending multimedia such as TV, radio and datacasting to mobile devices such as mobile phones...
providers of the nation (since 2005, approved by the Korean Government
Government of South Korea
The Government of South Korea is divided into executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The executive and judicial branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and...
).
Government owned channels
| Name | Owner | Launch | Genre | Slogan | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KBS 1TV KBS 1TV KBS 1TV, the premier channel of the Korean Broadcasting System, previously known as KBS Television in 1961, is the first TV channel in South Korea. It is also the only non-commercial free-to-air television channel in the country.... |
KBS | October 29, 1961 | General entertainment featuring news and sport, etc. | Korean's Manifested Channel | The Channel's callsign is HLKA-TV. |
| KBS 2TV | KBS | March 1964 | General entertainment featuring variety shows and sport, etc. | Youth Channel | The Channel's callsign is HLSA-TV. |
| MBC TV Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... |
MBC Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... |
August 8, 1969 | General entertainment featuring news and variety shows, etc. | MBC... Munhwa Bangsong | Its name is literally "Culture Broadcasting Corporation". |
| EBS TV Educational Broadcasting System Educational Broadcasting System or EBS is the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory. Established as KBS 3TV in the 1980's, and became an independent corporation in 2000... |
EBS Educational Broadcasting System Educational Broadcasting System or EBS is the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory. Established as KBS 3TV in the 1980's, and became an independent corporation in 2000... |
December 27, 1990 | General Infotainment Infotainment Infotainment is "information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers." It is a neologistic portmanteau of information and entertainment, referring to a type of media which provides a combination of... featuring documentaries, 2nd language education programmes, etc. |
A truly good channel | Formerly KBS 3TV, independent in 1990. |
Corporate channels
In South Korea, lots of corporate television network has been created after the deregulation taken in 1990. Apart from OBS Kyeongin TV, All of them are affiliated with SBS.SBS is responsible in distributing its programming content nationally, but is not responsible for producing local content aired by their affiliates.
| Name | Owner | Launch | Covers | Genre | Slogan | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBS SBS (Korea) Seoul Broadcasting System is a national South Korean television and radio network. It is the only private commercial broadcaster with a wide regional Network to operate in the country. On March 17, 2009, the company legally became known as SBS, changing its corporate name from Seoul Broadcasting... TV |
SBS Holdings (The TaeYoung E&C -led Consortium) | March 20, 1991 | Seoul and its suburbs Seoul National Capital Area The Seoul National Capital Area is a region located in the north-west of South Korea. It is generally referred to as Sudogwon in Korean, and contains three different administrative districts; Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do.... |
General entertainment featuring variety shows and drama, etc. | Humanism Through Digital (2000–2010) See you Tomorrow (2010–present) | |
| OBS O Broadcasting System O Broadcasting System is a regional South Korean television network in the Incheon area. It is the only private commercial broadcaster with no affiliate. OBS TV's call signs are HLQS-TV for analog and HLQS-DTV for digital.... |
Yeong-an Hat Co. | December 28, 2007 | Seoul and its suburbs Seoul National Capital Area The Seoul National Capital Area is a region located in the north-west of South Korea. It is generally referred to as Sudogwon in Korean, and contains three different administrative districts; Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do.... |
General entertainment with local content Seoul National Capital Area The Seoul National Capital Area is a region located in the north-west of South Korea. It is generally referred to as Sudogwon in Korean, and contains three different administrative districts; Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do.... s, independent of SBS |
Your light of Hope and Share | |
| KNN | KNN Corp.(The Nexen Tire Nexen Tire Nexen Tire is a tire manufacturer, headquartered in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, and Seoul, both in South Korea. Its major domestic competitors are Hankook Tire and Kumho Tires... -led Consortium) |
May 14, 1995 | Busan Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... and Gyeongnam Gyeongsangnam-do Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| TBC Daegu Broadcasting Corporation The Daegu Broadcasting Corporation is a regional television and radio broadcasting company based in Taegu , South Korea. The station was established on October 7, 1994, as an affiliate of Seoul Broadcasting System .-Stations:* Television... |
TBC Corp.(The Nano Chem.-led Consortium) | May 14, 1995 | Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... and Gyeongbuk Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| KBC | KBC Corp. | May 14, 1995 | Gwangju Gwangju Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister... and Jeonnam Jeollanam-do Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| TJB | TJB Corp.(The Woosung Feed Co.-led Consortium) | May 14, 1995 | Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... and Chungnam Chungcheongnam-do Chungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| ubc | UBC Corp.(The KOFCO-led Consortium) | September 1, 1997 | Ulsan Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the... , eastern part of Gyeongnam Gyeongsangnam-do Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| JTV | JTV Corp. (The Iljin holdings. -led Consortium) | September 17, 1997 | Jeonbuk Jeollabuk-do Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| CJB | CJB Corp. (The Doujin Construction -led Consortium) | October 18, 1997 | Chungbuk Chungcheongbuk-do Chungcheongbuk-do is a province in the centre of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| GTB | GTB Corp. | December 15, 2001 | Gangwon Gangwon-do (South Korea) Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:... |
General entertainment with some local contents | ||
| JIBS | JIBS Corp.(The Hanju Holdings. -led Consortium) | May 31, 2002 | Jeju Jeju-do Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946... |
General entertainment with some local contents |
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of Korean television series