KT to offer real-time multi-language subtitles on IPTV
Models promote KT's real-time multi-language subtitles to be offered on its internet protocol television Olleh TV from Monday. / Courtesy of KT
By Jun Ji-hye
KT will begin to offer real-time multi-language subtitles on its internet protocol television (IPTV) Olleh TV, Monday, in a bid to help members of multicultural families and foreigners living in Korea better understand what is happening here.
Eight languages ― English, Japanese, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Vietnamese and Uzbek ― will be offered for four channels ― JTBC, MBN, Yonhap News TV and KTV, said the second-largest mobile carriers.
Users can simply set the language for the subtitle option without paying extra fees to watch news, dramas and entertainment programs of the four channels with real-time subtitles.
Thai and Filipino language will be added to the service within the year, the firm noted.
Data provided by the National Statistical Office in 2017 showed that the number of multicultural households here was 320,000, and the number of foreigners living in Korea was 1.35 million.
The firm said the real-time subtitle service will help members of multicultural families and foreigners understand Korean news and other information with their native languages. This will help them better understand Korea and settle down comfortably.
The service is also expected to be used as a means of foreign language education in other households, the firm added.
The release of the subtitle service comes after the telecom firm installed 5,000 IPTVs at venues of PyeongChang Winter Olympics and offered real-time subtitles in six languages.
“We expect the technology that comes up with subtitles in real time on IPTVs, which we showcased at PyeongChang, to be widely used to prevent members of multicultural families and foreigners from becoming outsiders,” said Yi Seong-hwan, a vice president at the media business unit of KT. “We will continue to increase the number of languages to be offered to better support multicultural families.”