Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is hoping to interest South Korean newspaper publishers in creating ad-supported video news channels, the Korea Times reported. Speaking at a conference in Seoul, Google’s David Eun, VP of content, said the proposed ad-sharing deals would give newspapers the choice of having a branded channel on YouTube or just housing the videos on the newspapers’ own respective websites: “You can have video content on your own Web sites and generate revenue from the ads. Or you can make a `branded channel’ on Youtube and have sub-channels for individual reporters, then draw the traffic back to the newspapers’ Web site. It’s up to you.”

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According to the paper, Eun said he is in “deep discussions” with several newspaper companies and expects to announce deals shortly:  “Almost everything is pretty much set up. The only thing short now is advertisements, but it will soon add up.”

Eun promised that a deal with Google would lead to higher click rates and reader retention. NHN Corp.‘s Naver.com, Korea’s leading search engine, has come under fire from the country’s newspaper owners over its use of archived news articles.  Back in July, a BusinessWeek feature noted that Google, six years after launching its own Korean-language search engine, was still dominated by Naver.