Arirang TV

For other uses, see Arirang (disambiguation).

Arirang TV
TypeTelevision broadcaster
CountrySouth Korea
Broadcast area134 countries[1]
HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
Programming
Language(s)8 languages[2]
Ownership
OwnerKorea International Broadcasting Foundation
Key peopleKim Tae-jeong (CEO)
Sister channelsArirang Radio
History
Founded1996 (1996) (Korea International Broadcasting Foundation)
Launched1997 (1997)
Links
Websitearirang.com
Availability
Streaming media
YouTube"Live from KOREA | 24/7 Streaming | Arirang TV" on YouTube

Arirang TV[1] (Korean: 아리랑 TV) is a South Korean international broadcaster[3] owned and operated by Korea International Broadcasting Foundation. It broadcasts current news and programs offering political, economic, and cultural content from a Korean perspective to a global audience in 134 countries around the world.[4]

History

Launched locally by the government in 1996, with the motto "Korea for the World, the World for Korea,"[5] the Korea International Broadcasting Foundation began broadcasting as Arirang TV in 1997. The foundation started broadcasting overseas in 1999 within the Asia region.[6] The name of the broadcast comes from the traditional Korean folk song Arirang.[7] In 2000, Arirang TV expanded its overseas broadcasting to Europe, North Africa, and the Americas, reaching a global audience through satellite and cable services.[8]

In January 2010, the network split its programming into two categories, news and non-news, with additional news bulletins and current affairs programs being added to the schedule, as well as more cultural programming. The Vietnamese drama series Chạy án premiered on 4 January, with subtitles in both Korean and English.[9]

In 2011, after the Korean government was embroiled in an embezzlement scandal, suggestions had emerged for the merger of Arirang TV and KBS World, considering that Arirang, like many other English-language media outlets in South Korea, was suffering from insufficient funding, staffing, and programming content. The network later stabilized its operations.[10]

In September 2016, Arirang TV began airing 24 hours a day on UK television services, such as Sky UK and Freesat, becoming the one of the first South Korean channels to do so, while also expanding to the United States via DirecTV and the United Nations In-house Network.[11] In 2015, Arirang TV launched a dedicated channel for the United Nations headquarters in New York, broadcasting in English to promote international understanding of Korean culture.[8]

In January 2018, due to budget cuts, Arirang TV sacked 190 staff members and cut its number of programs in half from 36 to 18.[12] Since then, the network has focused on diversifying its content, with an emphasis on promoting Korean culture and Hallyu (Korean Wave), achieving milestones such as hosting English-language broadcasts for international events like the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit and the 2019 ASEAN-Korea Summit.[8]

Programming

As of 2024, Arirang TV's programming includes approximately 42% news and current affairs, 40% cultural and informational content, 15% Hallyu-related entertainment, and 3% multicultural exchange programs, available in English with subtitles in languages such as Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Vietnamese, and Indonesian.[13]

Current affair programming

  • Arirang News[14]
  • The GeoVista (since 2024)[15]
  • The Globalists (since 2022)[16]
  • Peace Insight (since 2016)[17]

Culture and entertainment programming

Education

  • K-Chat: Conversing in Korean (since 2023)[20] Arirang TV also operates a domestic channel in South Korea, launched in 1997, focusing on promoting Korean culture to local audiences, and an international channel, established in 1999, aimed at delivering Korean perspectives globally. In 2012, the network reached an estimated 100 million households worldwide.

Milestones

Arirang TV has been a key player in promoting Korean culture internationally, notably through hosting broadcasts for global events. These include the 2005 APEC Summit, the 2010 G20 Summit, the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, for which it received a Presidential Commendation.

See also[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Foundation, The Korea International Broadcasting. "company.arirang.com". company.arirang.com. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  2. ^ Foundation, The Korea International Broadcasting. "company.arirang.com". company.arirang.com. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Meet Devin Whiting, an anchor at Arirang TV". The Korea Times. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  4. ^ "Let's not abandon Arirang TV". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  5. ^ "'Arirang TV to overcome triple whammy'". The Korea Times. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  6. ^ Foundation, The Korea International Broadcasting. "company.arirang.com". company.arirang.com. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  7. ^ Lee, Hanna (8 September 1999). "Arirang TV Takes Asia". Variety. 375 (12).
  8. ^ a b c Introduction of Arirang TV Braodcast Business, The Korea International Broadcasting. "company.arirang.com". company.arirang.com. Retrieved 6 July 2025. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ Han, Sang-hee (22 December 2009). "Arirang TV to Split Programming". The Korea Times.
  10. ^ Park, Si-soo (12 October 2011). "'Arirang TV to overcome triple whammy'". The Korea Times.
  11. ^ "Arirang TV starts 24-hour broadcast in UK". The Korea Times. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  12. ^ Jung, Min-ho (4 January 2018). "Arirang TV to sack 190 employees, shut 18 programs". The Korea Times.
  13. ^ a b Foundation Guide General Information, The Korea International Broadcasting Foundation. "company.arirang.com". company.arirang.com. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Arirang TV". arirang.com. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  15. ^ "Arirang TV". arirang.com. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  16. ^ "Arirang TV". arirang.com. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  17. ^ "Arirang TV". arirang.com. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  18. ^ "Arirang TV". arirang.com. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  19. ^ "Arirang TV". arirang.com. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  20. ^ Service (KOCIS), Korean Culture and Information. "Korean-language education program to be aired worldwide : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea". Korea.net. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
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