Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS)
The Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) is a South Korean educational broadcasting group established in the 1980s as part of KBS, the country’s flagship public media group. Since that time, it has become an autonomous operator in its own right.
Media assets
Television: EBS 1, EBS 2, EBS Plus 1, EBS Plus 2, EBS English, EBS Kids
Radio: EBS FM
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
EBS functions as a public corporation overseen by a Board of Directors composed of nine non‑executive members nominated by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), in accordance with the Korea Education Broadcasting Corporation Act of 1997. Board appointments are routinely evaluated by an independent commission to ensure governance integrity.
While a July 2024 amendment to the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act passed in the National Assembly that called for increasing EBS’s board of directors from nine to twenty‑one members, the implementation of that amendment has not yet taken effect in practice. Subsequently, in August 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol exercised his veto power, sending that amendment (along with other related broadcasting laws) back to the Assembly for reconsideration.
Then, in August 2025, the National Assembly passed a broader set of three broadcasting-related bills in a special session—with the one affecting KBS’s board already confirmed, and the EBS board expansion law still pending; if approved, EBS’s board members will be nominated as follows: by the National Assembly (5 members), the viewer committee (2 members), employees (1 member), academic societies (1 member), educational organizations (2 members), the educational administrative council (1 member), and the Minister of Education (1 member).
Source of funding and budget
EBS sustains itself largely through commercial revenues, primarily advertising and sales of textbooks and educational content, which traditionally have accounted for around 72–80% of its budget. Additional funding flows from the public broadcasting license fee (a modest 3% share of the total) and occasional government grants. No recent budget data appear to have been released to date.
Editorial independence
EBS enjoys substantial editorial independence, with no overt governmental directives influencing its content or programming decisions. . Reflecting its commitment to public accountability, EBS maintains an Audience Committee, drawn from academics, educators, and civil society members, which acts as an informal ombudsman to monitor programming and channel viewer feedback.
August 2025