Badook TV

Badook TV (바둑TV) is a South Korean television channel devoted entirely to the game of Go, known in Korean as baduk. It is operated by the Korea Baduk Association (재단법인 한국기원), the country's central governing body for the game, and broadcasts around the clock from its base in Seoul. The channel's programming centers on live coverage of professional Go tournaments, expert commentary, news, instructional shows, and event programming aimed at both serious players and general fans. The channel began as a cable television service on 1 December 1995, giving Go its own dedicated broadcast outlet after years in which the game appeared only intermittently on general terrestrial networks such as KBS, MBC, and SBS. It expanded its broadcast hours over the following years and moved to a full 24-hour schedule on 1 October 1999, allowing it to carry live match coverage and analysis at any time of day. Ownership changed in 2016. On 1 January of that year, the operating entity shifted from CJ E&M to the Korea Baduk Association, which acquired the channel and reorganized it as a specialist channel under its wing. This strengthened the link between the broadcaster and the institution that administers professional Go in Korea, and sharpened its focus on authoritative match broadcasts and expert content. Today Badook TV presents itself as the home of Korean Go broadcasting. Its website offers membership registration, subscription passes, program schedules, and a news section, alongside rankings of professional players and coverage of major domestic tournaments. The channel is distributed through Korean cable and satellite platforms, and its output is closely tied to the professional Go calendar organized by the Korea Baduk Association.

Before Badook TV existed, Go coverage on Korean television was sporadic. General terrestrial broadcasters such as KBS, MBC, and SBS aired Go-related programs only intermittently, without a dedicated channel or a stable schedule for the game. That changed on 1 December 1995, when Badook TV formally launched as a cable television channel, establishing an independent programming system for Go. In its first year it broadcast daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. The schedule gradually expanded: from 1 December 1996 to 30 April 1997 it ran from 10 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.; from 1 May 1997 to 30 September 1999 it aired on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. On 1 October 1999 the channel moved to a full 24-hour broadcasting system, a step that allowed it to provide match broadcasts, commentary, and planned programming on a stable, round-the-clock basis. This 24-hour format has continued to the present. A major ownership change occurred on 1 January 2016, when the operating entity shifted from CJ E&M to the Korea Baduk Association. The channel's ownership was sold, and it was reorganized as a specialist channel under the Korea Baduk Association. This strengthened its connection to the central institution for Go administration and competition in Korea, and made its positioning around credible match broadcasts and expert content more pronounced. In the years since, Badook TV has continued to serve as a dedicated outlet for Korean Go, combining live tournament coverage with news, information, events, and community features. Its website lists services including membership registration, viewing passes, program schedules, and a news section, and it publishes professional player rankings and details of major tournaments such as the Haeseong Women's Kisung. The channel remains closely tied to the professional Go calendar administered by the Korea Baduk Association.

• 2016

  Operating entity changes from CJ E&M to the Korea Baduk Association; the channel is sold and reorganized as a specialist channel under the association.

• 1999

  Channel switches to a 24-hour, round-the-clock broadcasting system.

• 1997

  Broadcast hours extend further: weekdays 10 a.m. – 4:30 a.m., weekends 8 a.m. – 4:30 a.m.

• 1996

  Daily broadcast hours extend to 10 a.m. – 3:30 a.m.

• 1995

  Badook TV formally launches as a cable television channel, establishing an independent programming system for Go.

A dedicated 24-hour television channel for Go, operated by Korea's central Go institution and focused on authoritative match broadcasts and expert content.

• Live Go match broadcasts

  Live coverage of professional Go tournaments, including commentary.

• Baduk news and information

  News and information programming about the game and its community.

• Program schedule and viewing passes

  Website services including program schedules and subscription passes.

1. 1바둑TV official websitetvbaduk.com
2. 2바둑TV - Wikipedia (Korean)ko.wikipedia.org
3. 3Badook TV - Wikidatawikidata.org