All South Korea Newspapers

A Guide to the Influential and Polarized Press of South Korea

Welcome to your guide to the newspapers of the Republic of Korea, a nation with a dynamic, high-tech, and intensely competitive media landscape. The South Korean press, publishing primarily in its native language, is a cornerstone of its vibrant democracy, characterized by high readership, a technologically advanced digital news sector, and a deep-seated political polarization between influential conservative and liberal newspapers.

The Conservative “Big Three”

The South Korean newspaper market has long been dominated by three major conservative dailies, often referred to collectively as the “Cho-Joong-Dong” (조중동). These papers are the largest by circulation and hold significant influence in shaping public opinion and the political agenda.

• The Chosun Ilbo: As one of the oldest and most-circulated newspapers, The Chosun Ilbo is a leading conservative voice in the country.
• JoongAng Ilbo: Another major player, JoongAng Ilbo is a highly influential daily with a moderate conservative stance and a strong focus on both political and corporate news.
• The Dong-a Ilbo: The third pillar of the conservative press, The Dong-a Ilbo, founded in 1920, has a long history and a massive readership, contributing a powerful voice to the nation’s conservative discourse.

The Liberal and Progressive Press

Providing a crucial counter-narrative to the conservative dailies, several progressive newspapers are highly respected for their critical perspectives and investigative journalism.

• The Hankyoreh: Founded in 1988 by journalists who were dismissed from conservative newspapers, The Hankyoreh is the leading liberal, centre-left daily.⁵ It is uniquely citizen-owned and known for its progressive stance on social issues, human rights, and reconciliation with North Korea.
• Kyunghyang Shinmun: Another major liberal daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun has a history of government criticism and provides an important alternative viewpoint in the national media landscape.

Economic and English-Language Dailies

For specialized news, several publications are essential reading. The Maeil Business Newspaper and the Korea Economic Daily are the country’s premier financial newspapers, providing indispensable news for the business and investment communities.

Catering to the large expatriate community and international audience, South Korea has a robust English-language press:

• The Korea Times: The nation’s oldest English-language daily newspaper.
• The Korea Herald: A leading English daily providing comprehensive coverage of news and culture.
• Korea JoongAng Daily: The English edition of the JoongAng Ilbo, published in association with The New York Times.

A Digital-First News Environment

South Korea is a global leader in digital innovation, and its news consumption reflects this. The media landscape is dominated by powerful online news portals like Naver and Daum (Kakao), which aggregate news from hundreds of sources and are the primary way most Koreans access the news. All major newspapers also have a powerful digital presence, with sophisticated websites and mobile applications.

From the powerful conservative broadsheets to their liberal counterparts and the lightning-fast digital portals, the media of South Korea offers a compelling and multifaceted view of this dynamic East Asian nation. Explore our collection on w3worldnewspapers.com to connect with the full spectrum of voices from South Korea.