South Korea picked the U.S.-based Advanced Television Systems Committee 3.0 standard for the country's ultra-high-definition television broadcasting set to launch next year, the science ministry said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said it preferred the ATSC 3.0 standard for UHD TV broadcasting that begins next February over the Europe-based DVB-T2 standard.

UHD TVs manufactured by local TV makers have so far been based on the DVB-T2 broadcasting system and will require a separate set-top box starting next year, the ministry said.

"The North American standard is better than the European one as the technology provides better transmission quality for viewers," said a ministry official, noting that the ATSC 3 is the Internet Protocol based broadcast system that combines broadcasting and broadband.

The ATSC is an international group, established in 1982, that develops technology standards for digital television used in the U.S. and Canada. (Yonhap)