YouTube launched a Korean-language interface to its popular video streaming Web site Wednesday.

The new service also includes content from local partners and will face tough competition from established local video sites like Pandora TV and portals like Daum.

Korea has a high level of broadband Internet penetration and streaming video has been popular for several years. It was one of the first countries in the world where over-the-air TV networks offered their full programming live and on-demand through their Web sites. The emergence of community and portal sites has also made user-generated video popular, although YouTube has not seen much success due to the strong local sites.

Last year YouTube set to expand its international reach with local language interfaces and domain names for several countries including Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. It also launched local sites for the U.K. and Ireland.

Google, which owns YouTube, has also had mixed success in South Korea but last year began building up a local office in Seoul. In May it renewed its Korean homepage with the addition of a toolbar and animated icons that provide shortcuts to site features. The update represents the furthest Google has moved from its classic minimalist design on any nation pages.

[via PC World]

Hearst-Argyle Television Inc. and YouTube Inc. Monday announced a joint effort to add news, weather and entertainment videos and original Hearst television programming in five local markets to YouTube.

Beginning Monday, Hearst TV stations in Boston, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Manchester, N.H., will begin posting local video to dedicated YouTube channels.

The deal marks the first distribution agreement between Google Inc. subsidiary YouTube and an independent television broadcaster, according to YouTube and Hearst. YouTube last week announced a deal with EMI Group PLC to begin showing music videos and performances on the site.

“We’re constantly looking at innovative ways to not only bring the YouTube community the best content out there, but also to find ways to bring them the most relevant programming,” said Jordan Hoffner, head of premium content partnerships for YouTube, in a statement. “Local creates relevance, and this agreement will ultimately deliver Hearst-Argyle’s programming to an even broader audience looking for local content.”

For Hearst’s part, the deal fits within its overall strategy to distribute its content on TV, the Internet and mobile phones, said Executive Vice President Terry Mackin.

As part of the deal, Hearst will also use YouTube as part of its new digital video project and will broadcast high school football and basketball and local amateur entertainment on YouTube.

Web sites operated by Hearst television stations nationwide generate 1 billion page views each year and provide Wireless Application Protocol content, podcasts, Web-based newscasts, Web videos and blogs in various markets.