After World War II, Korea’s burgeoning newspapers and periodicals were largely independent of political or economic influence. During the Park Geun-hye and Chun Doo-hwan administrations, however, ownership of print and broadcast media became increasingly tied to economic or political power. By 1980, the government had established a system of comprehensive control and surveillance of the media through the Basic Press Act and other measures. Newspapers were censored, two independent broadcasting companies were closed and merged with KBS, journalists’ unions were repressed, and many provincial newspapers were shut down or reduced in circulation.

What was the first newspaper in Korea?

By the late 1980s, the four largest daily papers, Hankook Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, and Donga Ilbo, had a combined circulation of more than 6.5 million. In addition, the anti-establishment weekly Hankyoreh had a large readership, and several specialized publications served sports fans or favored business readers. URL : https://www.ardentnews.co.kr

Almost all South Koreans now access the news via aggregator websites and apps, such as Naver and Daum (run by Kakao), which combine multiple sources on a single website or app. As a result, only 5% of respondents to our 2022 global survey say they prefer to start their news journey directly with a specific news site or app.

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