Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said Tuesday that his ministry is discussing institutional measures with the Korea Communications and Media Commission amid controversy over the public being deprived of access to watch the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Choi made the remarks during a briefing to the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, responding to questions from Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Kye-won.
Cho warned that disputes over Olympic broadcast rights could restrict the public’s ability to watch. He said the Milan Olympics opening ceremony drew just a 1.8% rating, calling it a bleak result and attributing it to the absence of terrestrial broadcasting.
Cho added that JTBC has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the Olympics from 2026 to 2032 and the World Cup through 2030. With a single channel holding the rights, he said, the public lost chances to cheer, citing cases in which athlete Choi Ga-on’s effort was reduced to a single line of on-screen text.
Some countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, regulate major international sports events such as the Olympics to prevent pay-TV broadcasters from monopolizing rights and to protect public access.
Choi said JTBC’s coverage falls under the commission’s rules on universal access, but acknowledged there were limits to nationwide viewing. “This has made us keenly aware of the seriousness,” he said, adding that discussions are underway with the Korea Communications and Media Commission on institutional safeguards.
Lawmakers also raised concerns that Hallyu-related tourism is concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area. Of the top 10 concerts by ticket sales in 2024, nine were held in the capital region, with the exception of Psy’s “Summer Swag” show in Busan. The imbalance has fueled calls to develop mid- to large-scale multipurpose arenas outside the capital region.
Choi said the ministry is preparing to launch feasibility studies for such arenas outside the Seoul area to speed up the expansion of regional performance infrastructure.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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