Jung Yun-Joo

October 2007

Programmers across Asia are well acquainted with the so-called Korean Wave—the trend has found Korean dramas popping up in prime time on broadcasters across the region. Many of these have come from the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), which has been notching up deals for its stable of hits, including the acclaimed Winter Sonata and Hwangini, and rolling out KBS World, a 24-hour cable channel that is available in almost 50 markets. Within its home market, meanwhile, the public broadcaster is busy celebrating the 80th anniversary of broadcasting in Korea with productions like the historical drama King Sejong the Great and the high-definition documentary Asian Corridor in Heaven, about a 5,000-kilometer trading route that begins in Southwest China and runs over the Himalayas to Tibet, Burma and Indonesia. KBS has also embarked on the first-ever drama co-production with its North Korean neighbor Korean Central Television, titled Six Martyred Ministers. KBS’s president and CEO, Jung Yun-Joo, talks to TV Asia Pacific about how the organization aims to maintain its viewership and embrace new technologies in the multichannel era.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What role does KBS play in the Korean TV landscape?

JUNG: We are the nation’s leading public broadcaster, providing quality cultural content and [disseminating] values and information that have helped boost understanding among the people of Asia. We live in a multimedia, multichannel world that overflows with paid services and sensational commercialism. The audience expects that KBS will strive to fulfill its role as a guardian of public values by maintaining a wholesome broadcasting environment.

Public opinion polls regularly single out KBS for its number-one status in influence and reliability; one recent survey also confirmed KBS as the most influential media source on government policies.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How do you program your various services?

JUNG: TV1’s fair and in-depth news coverage and current-affairs reports, as well as its various public-interest programs, contribute to setting the national agenda and encouraging social unity. TV2 carries out its role as the family entertainment channel, offering a balanced mix of entertainment and information. By meaningfully combining public interest with recreation, KBS has managed to pave the way for wholesome entertainment programs. To meet the ever-rising expectations of viewers, KBS dramas also experiment with new materials and varied formats.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What about your digital channels?

JUNG: In order to adjust proactively to the era of multiple channels and multiple media, we launched our cable and satellite channels by establishing the subsidiary KBS N. It provides Korean cable and satellite viewers with abundant KBS content. After launching two channels, KBS N Sports and KBS Drama, in 2002, KBS N has added KBS Prime and KBS Joy. For the time being, we don’t have plans for more.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How important are international co-productions for KBS?

JUNG: International co-productions and close cooperation with foreign broadcasters are among the most important goals for us. In 2005, marking the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, KBS co-produced Ho Chi Minh Trail and Peace Concert with VTV of Vietnam. [Other] joint productions include the KBS-CCTV Joint Concert, the KBS-NHK-CCTV civilization documentary Silkroad and the KBS-NHK documentary Asian Corridor in Heaven. KBS has also signed cooperation agreements with a number of public broadcasters, including Uzbekistan’s NTRC, Azerbaijan’s iTV and Libya’s LJBC. We have cooperative ties with a total of 49 broadcasters in 37 countries.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How is your international network KBS World performing?

JUNG: KBS World TV, which was launched in 2003, can be currently viewed in 38 million households in some 49 countries. This year is very meaningful to us because we finally launched the channel service in China, potentially the world’s biggest market.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Korea is considerably ahead of the rest of the world in terms of broadband and mobile-TV rollouts. What role is KBS playing in those technological advancements?

JUNG: I think Koreans are very creative and [are open to change]. They especially enjoy new ways of communication.

During the past year, KBS achieved milestones in merging broadcast services with telecommunications [by] overseeing trial operations of multimedia message services (MMS) and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), and developing the two-way Internet radio service Kong and launching Danpod, the nation’s first podcasting service.

In 2007—ahead of schedule—the free KBS DMB [digital multimedia broadcast mobile service] will launch nationwide to meet the needs of provincial viewers and help bridge any regional gaps [in digital coverage]. New formats including commercial breaks during programs and additional pay services will help to strengthen the profitability of DMB.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are your plans for high-definition?

JUNG: We designed a road map to enhance HD and SD production facilities and to standardize wide-SD production. In 2006, we expanded the digital-TV broadcast service area, enabling it to be viewed in 92 percent of the country. We expect to convert all of our program broadcasting from analog to digital by 2012.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: To what do you attribute the success of the Korean Wave?

JUNG: KBS drama is famous for its solid story lines, beautiful imagery, fresh production techniques and the passionate performances of its cast. It [attracts audiences] without resorting to provocative topics such as extramarital love or violence. Incorporating new materials while breaking away from the clichés of romantic comedies, KBS dramas win kudos from the audience.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How are you working to raise the profile of KBS content worldwide?

JUNG: KBS has worked on producing and exporting top-quality documentaries as well as dramas in order to make inroads into as-yet untapped regions in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Besides expanding [the markets we sell to], we have also diversified the genres we export. One example, VJ Commando Squad, became the first Korean cultural variety show to be sold to Japan’s NHK, which began airing it in January on BS Japan.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: You’ve said you want KBS to be “a window of Asia”—can you tell me more about that philosophy?

JUNG: KBS strives to fulfill its mission as a public broadcaster representing Asia. KBS has shown Korea and Asia to the world through exports of high-quality dramas and documentaries. KBS continues to transmit Asian culture and information all over the world through the creation of meaningful cultural content.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What challenges do you face in funding KBS?

JUNG: As the main source of the public-service broadcaster’s finances, KBS’s license fee has been fixed at 2,500 won ($2.70) per month since 1981. The KBS Board of Governors has recently approved the station management’s decision to increase the license fee. The proposal is currently under review by the Korean Broadcasting Commission (KBC) and will be submitted to the National Assembly. We believe that the plan, which is to lift the amount of the fee to 4,000 won ($4.30), will help the financially constrained broadcaster create a better environment for it to produce quality programs that ensure public values, impartiality and fairness, solve problems in areas of poor reception, accelerate digitization efforts, and introduce a highly efficient management framework.