Assemblyman Choi Hyungdoo Raises Concerns Over KBS: From K-Content Pioneer to Global OTT Subcontractor

"1 Trillion Won Fund Needed
to Restore K-Content Competitiveness"

Although the global growth of K-content continues, highlighted by the worldwide craze for K-Pop Demon Hunters (K-Pop Demon Hunters), there are concerns raised during the National Assembly audit that public broadcasters such as KBS-the pioneers of the Korean Wave-are being reduced to subcontracting bases for global OTT platforms due to their vulnerable financial structures and weakened revenue bases.

Hyungdoo Choi, Member of the National Assembly.

Choi Hyungdoo, a member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee from the People Power Party, compared and analyzed the financial structures of major public broadcasters such as KBS, BBC, and NHK. He emphasized, "Fundamental reforms are urgently needed to secure the financial soundness of domestic public broadcasters and to strengthen their content competitiveness."

KBS is highly dependent on advertising, giving it a strong commercial character, whereas BBC and NHK maintain stable financial structures centered on license fees.

Assemblyman Choi Hyungdoo expressed concern, stating, "If KBS, which has played a pioneering role in K-content such as Music Bank and K-dramas, fails to maintain its competitiveness due to financial shortages, it may be reduced to a subcontracting base for global OTT platforms."

He also pointed out, "The revenue structure centered on advertising and the high rate of cost increases threaten KBS's financial soundness." He added, "KBS lacks effective overseas sales strategies, digital transformation responses, and content rights acquisition strategies, and its efforts to diversify revenue through YouTube and global distribution are insufficient."

Assemblyman Choi proposed the creation of a 1 trillion won fund utilizing KBS's real estate assets to enhance KBS's financial soundness and content competitiveness.

It is expected that various real estate developments will be possible by utilizing the KBS annex site near the research building and Saetgang Station.

In the case of the KBS annex, while it is currently difficult to determine the exact value of the site, a rough estimate can be made based on the bid price (402.4 billion won) of nearby land (Yeouido-dong 61-1, with an official value of 94 billion won), which was put up for sale by Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH Corporation) in October 2024.

In particular, he stressed, "We must establish a sustainable financial structure by referring to the cases of BBC and NHK, without undermining public interest and independence." He emphasized the need to "prepare a mid- to long-term financial reform roadmap linked to the creation of the '1 Trillion Won K-Content Fund' to achieve this goal."