Korean Broadcasting Association Takes a Stand Against AI Misuse: What You Need to Know

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The Korea Broadcasting Association, which represents 39 terrestrial broadcasters, said it voted to coordinate a joint response to the unauthorized use of broadcast content for AI training.

Speaking at the association’s regular general meeting and board session on the 3rd, Chairman Bang Mun-shin, who also serves as SBS president, said last year’s national agenda and policy proposals incorporated many of the association’s suggested regulatory reforms — a meaningful step forward. He added that reforms to the Broadcasting and Communications Development Fund removed unfair spending practices and laid the groundwork to expand support for regional and smaller stations. He pledged to push those changes quickly toward concrete results.

Bang identified artificial intelligence as this year’s foremost challenge, saying the association will actively counter unauthorized AI training of broadcast material and work to ensure the broadcasting sector is not sidelined in national AI policymaking.

The association elected MBC President Ahn Hyeong-jun as its next chairman; his term begins in August. Ahn said he feels a profound sense of responsibility amid the difficult conditions facing terrestrial broadcasters and vowed to work with member-company leaders to create a turning point that lets terrestrial television reclaim its central role in shaping K-culture.

In February, KBS, SBS and MBC — South Korea’s three major terrestrial broadcasters — filed a lawsuit against OpenAI seeking to stop alleged copyright infringement and to recover damages. Earlier, the broadcasters sued Naver over its generative AI, HyperCLOVA X, alleging it trained on their news content without permission in violation of copyright and unfair competition laws, and they sought damages and an injunction to halt further training.