Korean TV is probably best known for K-dramas, but they’re not the only type of show you’ll find on Korean television—far from it.
Tune in to the Korean TV channels below, and you’ll find a ton of material to help you improve your listening comprehension. You’ll also be exposed to a rich variety of words, expressions, grammar and even accents.
I’ve also got tons of advice to help you improve your Korean while watching authentic Korean TV online.
Founded in 1927, the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) is the national public broadcaster of South Korea. It’s popular enough that watching KBS channels will help you gain a better grasp of the Korean language and culture.
In case you’re having trouble streaming Korean videos on the website, you can also head over to KBS America.
Yes! Top News, also known as YTN, focuses on bringing you breaking news straight from the Korean peninsula.
While more serious news take center stage, you’ll also appreciate their coverage of sports, science and society, perfect for acquiring a diverse range of vocabulary.
Be aware that if you have an adblocker installed on your browser, you won’t be able to play the videos on this website, so you may want to disable your adblocker for the page you’re watching at least.
Along with KBS and SBS, MBC is one of the largest TV broadcasters in South Korea. Its online platform mainly features K-dramas, live performances, cartoons and series from nearly every genre you can think of.
To access MBC TV’s shows, however, you may need to use a VPN.
As its name suggests, this one features news broadcasts from South Korea, as well as international news from a South Korean perspective. Luckily, you don’t need a VPN or a disabled adblocker to access their content.
Netflix offers a solid library of authentic Korean videos with English subtitles. Keep in mind that their movie and TV show selection changes constantly and may vary depending on the country you’re in.
The great thing about Netflix is you can change the language of the audio and subtitles. Depending on the show you’re watching, you can change the dub to Korean or English, and/or do the same for the subtitles.
Though not a Korean TV channel, the FluentU program uses authentic Korean clips from TV and beyond for an immersive learning experience.
Korean Immersion from Your Device
I get it–learning Korean isn’t always a walk in the park. But it doesn’t have to be a boring, tedious, or hair-pulling experience either. In fact, making it fun is key to your success!
With FluentU, you can learn Korean naturally by turning any YouTube or Netflix video with subtitles into an interactive language lesson. I’m talking about language immersion from the convenience of your device.
You can even import your favorite YouTube videos into your FluentU account to learn from them using the app or website. Or browse our curated library of videos handpicked for beginners and intermediate learners.
While you watch a video, FluentU’s interactive subtitles let you tap on any word for an instant definition, example sentences, images, and audio. No more pausing and searching for translations—everything you need is right there!
It's all built to help you learn how to use words in real contexts. And as you learn, you can add new words to your flaschards with just a click! For example, if I tap on the word 잘, this is what pops up:
Learn even faster with built-in quizzes that reinforce vocab from every video. FluentU tracks your progress, gives you extra practice with tricky words, and reminds you when it’s time to review—so your learning is always personalized and effective.
Choose a Korean TV show or two that you’ll enjoy. The more you like what you’re watching, the more you’ll learn from it. Whether you prefer dramas, fantasy shows, comedies or shows set in interesting locations like Korean hospitals, there’s sure to be a Korean series that meets your tastes. And you don’t even have to choose just one: you can keep up with multiple Korean shows at once. That way, you can learn Korean from the various topics explored in each show and have a lot of fun along the way.
Use headphones. Wearing headphones makes it easier to focus on the language and detect every little sound until your ears grow accustomed to the nuances of Korean pronunciation.
Opt for live streaming if you can’t decide what show to watch. When you’re live streaming, you automatically set your player to queue up the next show, instead of you having to do the clicking and queueing yourself. It’s also a fun way to discover interesting shows that you may enjoy.
Choose VOD (Video on Demand) for more focused study. Then again, live streaming has its disadvantages as a Korean study tool. You can’t replay portions of the show, so you can’t go back to try to understand something you missed. VOD, on the other hand, allows you to do just that. You can also select specific shows based on your unique interests and fluency level.
Engage in active watching. It can be easy to get sucked into TV shows and forget to actually, well, learn. When you’re watching a show, pay close attention to the use of vocabulary, grammar, register, etc. The more active you are as a watcher/listener, the more you’ll get out of surfing all the Korean TV channels I just recommended.
There you go!
Now that you know where to watch Korean TV online, you’ll definitely rock your Korean studies.
