KBS

Korea national broadcaster and the most-watched television network in the country, KBS (한국방송공사) has been at the center of Korean entertainment since its founding in 1927. Established as the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Corporation, reorganized as Seoul Central Broadcasting in 1947, KBS launched television service in 1961 and formally adopted its public broadcasting mandate in 1973. Since then it has grown into one of the most expansive media organizations in Asia. Today KBS operates four terrestrial channels, including the flagship KBS1 and KBS2, alongside two international satellite channels, KBS World TV and KBS KOREA, which carry Korean content to global audiences. Seven radio stations round out a broadcast footprint that extends to 18 regional stations and overseas bureaus in the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and beyond. Since October 1994, KBS1 and the main radio channels have carried no commercial advertising, funded instead by TV license fees. The catalogue speaks for itself. Winter Sonata (2002) helped establish the Hallyu wave across East Asia. Descendants of the Sun (2016) became one of the first Korean dramas to break through simultaneously across Asian and Western markets. KBS2 has also served as the home for survival competition formats that have directly shaped K-Pop, including MAKEMATE1 (2024), from which NOUERA debuted under Nouer Entertainment. Music Bank, airing every Friday on KBS2 since 1998, remains one of K-Pop five major music shows and a mandatory promotional stop for acts at every level. Off-air, KBS operates the 1,600-seat KBS Hall for live events and maintains the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the KBS Korean Traditional Music Orchestra as part of its public cultural mission. Headquarters are located in the Yeouido district of Seoul.