Source: *U.S. Library of Congress *slide presentation by Ki Hyun about Korean media *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_of_South_Korea *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_of_North_Korea *http://www.pressreference.com/Sa-Sw/South-Korea.html

2.  located at East Asia
 Capital city: Pyongyang
 separated from South Korea by the Korean
Demilitarized Zone
 world’s most militarized nation

3. MEDIA of NORTH KOREA is
“among the most strictly
controlled in the world.”

4. FREEDOM of SPEECH and
the PRESS is provided for by the
CONSTITUTION but…

5. …practice of these rights are
prohibited unless it contains
praises about the COUNTRY, its
GOVERNMENT and the
LEADER.

6. According to Kim Jong-il’s book, Guidance
for Journalists, “newspapers carry articles in
which they unfailingly hold the president in high
esteem, adore him and praise him as the great
revolutionary leader”.

7.  Worker’s Party of Korea- the ruling political
party of North Korea
 Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)- the
only source of all media information in
North Korea
 No private press exists.

8. “a cult promoting adulation of a living natio
nal leader or public figure.”

9.  News is sometimes released internationally but not
domestically (vise versa)
 Reports on domestic issues remain silent (e.g.
increase of wages, food prices)
 Restrictions are not only to the civilians but also to
the government officials.

10.  12 principal newspapers and 20 major periodicals
These includes:
 Rodong Sinmun (Labour Daily) - state-controlled
 Joson Inmingun (Korean People's Army Daily)
 Minju Choson (Democratic Korea) - government organ
 Rodongja Sinmum (Workers' Newspaper)
 The Pyongyang Times (English-language; published in
the capital)

11. 4 major TV stations:
 Korean Central TV
 Mansudae Television
 Korean Educational and Cultural Network
 Kaesong Television

12.  the most widely-used medium in North Korea(only
55 of every 1,000 North Koreans have television set)
 As of 2006, there were 16 AM, 14 FM, and 11
shortwave broadcast radio stations.

13.  The general population do not have internet access.
 Internet use is restricted to internet cafes or hotels
designated for foreign tourists in Pyongyang.

14.  Located at South and East Asia
 Capital city is Seoul
 South Korea is certified as one of the free countries
of liberal democracy by a New York-based Freedom
House, in its latest Freedom in the World 2001-
2002 report.
 Unlike North Korea, the South Korean press enjoys
a high degree of freedom

15.  Korea’s first modern newspaper is The
Dongnip Sinmun (Independence Newsp -
aper), established in 1896 during the Yi
Dynasty
*Enlightening the public was
the primary objective of the
press during this period

16.  1910:weeklies turned dailies, and privately owned dailies
began to play the role of educators and independence
fighters.
 1919: Following the March First Movement, Japanese
authorities loosened their overt control over cultural
activities and permitted several Korean newspapers to
function while maintaining some behind-the-scenes
direction over politically sensitive topics.
 The Chosun Ilbo and
the Dong-A Ilbo
inaugurated in 1920

17.  The modern press in Korea began as weeklies in the
1890s during Chosun Dynasty (1392 to 1910). The
hermit kingdom wanted to awaken their subjects to
the rapidly modernizing world outside by offering a
modern press.
 Enlightening the public was the primary objective of
the press
 When Japan colonized Korea in 1910, weeklies
turned dailies, and privately owned dailies began to
play the role of educators and independence
fighters.

18. 1. Seung Man Lee’s government (1948-1960)
 Outlawed leftist newspapers
 Closed moderate newspapers
 Arrested reporters and publishers
2. Chung Hee Park’s government (1964-1972)
 Closed all but fifteen of Seoul's 64 daily newspapers
 Using its own radio and news agencies to promote
its official line
 The Press Ethics Commission Law
3. Doo Hwan Chun’s government (1980-1988)
 Independent news agencies were absorbed into
a single state-run agency
 Numerous provincial newspapers were closed
 Two independent broadcasting companies were
absorbed into the state-run KBS

19.  The political liberalization of the late 1980s brought a
loosening of press restraints and a new generation
of journalists more willing to investigate sensitive
subjects, such as the May 1980 Kwangju incident.
Roh's eight-point declaration of June 29, 1987,
provided for "a free press, including allowing
newspapers to base correspondents in provincial
cities and withdrawing security officials from
newspaper offices."

20.  Here is an example of the Standard of Practices
provisions on "Bribery and Entertainment" in the
article on "Dignity of Journalists":
 "News media and journalists, in relation to their news
gathering, reports, commentary, and editing, should
not receive economic advantages from the parties of
vested interest in such forms as monetary offerings,
entertainment, free trips, expenses for news-
gathering trips, commercial goods, coupons, and
expensive mementos. …"

21.  The envelope of cash changing hands from news
sources to reporters is called Chonji in Korean,
literally meaning "a small consideration.“
 Such a small consideration in cash may range from
$25 to $100, depending on the weight of the news
item involved.

22.  Chonji has been a chronic ill of the Korean press. In
the 1990s, a progressive sector of the journalist
circles staged a reform campaign against this shady
practice with some success.
 The Report on the Korean Press 2000 , of Kwanhun
Club, resignedly concludes by saying that " Chonji by
now has set in as a routine practice in the Korean
journalism."

23. National dailies: Selected local dailies:
Name Circulations Name Circulations
Chosun Ilbo 2,450,000 Busan Ilbo 400,000
Joong-ang Ilbo 2,350,000 Daegu Maeil shinmun 170,000
Kookje Daily News 100,000
Dong-a Ilbo 2,100,000
Hankok Ilbo 700,000
November 2001
Kyunghyang Shinmun 450,000
Hankyoreh Shinmun 400,000
Korea Daily News 400,000
Kukmin Daily 350,000
Munhwa Ilbo 300,000
Segye Times 200,000
Korea: 213 copies per 1000 people
※ United Kingdom: 303 / Belgium: 173 / France: 167

24.  Korea's ten national general-interest dailies, most
ly morning papers, are all based in Seoul.
The national papers publish 44 to 52 standard-sized
pages daily. They all use the Korean
language Hangeul . Until late 1990s, some of them
printed editorial texts in vertical lines, progressing
from right to left, also intermixing the Korean text
with a limited number of Chinese characters.

25.  In the early twenty-first century the sole use
of Hangeul is universal, and the text lines are
horizontal as in the Western press. One physical
difference in the look of the Korean press is the
prominent display of some major advertising on the
bottom half of the front pages because it is the most
expensive ad space. Although all the ten national
dailies strive to be quality papers that stress hard
news, their news stories tend to be relatively short,
which in turn is an indication that in-depth reporting
is the exception not the rule.

26.  Number of Daily Newspapers:116
 National dailies (all in Seoul):
 Chosun Ilbo (2,450,000)
 Joong-ang Ilbo (2,350,000)
 Dong-a Ilbo (2,100,000)
 Hankook Ilbo (700,000)
 Kyunghyang Shinmun (450,000)
 Hankyoreh Shinmun (450,000)
 Korea Daily News (400,000)
 Kukmin Daily (350,000)
 Munhwa Ilbo (300,000)
 Segye Times (200,000)

27.  Select local dailies:
 Busan Ilbo (400,000)
 Daegu Maeil Shinmun (170,000)
 Kookje Daily News (of Busan)(100,000)
 The Chosun Ilbo , arguably the largest-circulation daily, is
also the most influential in Korea. Like other leading
dailies, this paper is a mammoth media complex,
publishing not only the main vernacular paper but a
weekly newsmagazine, a monthly magazine, a women's
monthly, a children's daily, and a sports daily.

28.  The Joong-ang Ilbo , the second-largest circulation
daily, used to be owned by Korea's leading
multinational business conglomerate Samsung
Group. It is now independent and family owned but
most Koreans suspect the tie with Samsung is still
there in the operation of the paper
 The last of the top three, Dong-a Ilbo , used to be the
pre-eminent critic of Korea's previous military or
dictatorial regimes. During the civilian rule now, this
paper still exerts its critical approach to uncovering
ills and irregularities in all sectors from government
to business.

29.  The South Korean press draws almost 80 percent of
its revenue from advertising, with the remaining 20
percent coming from subscription fees. The high rate
of dependence on advertising means potential power
of advertising sponsors, media owners' special care
about the news that touches on such sponsors, and
the need to drive up circulations, the base of ad
rates.

30.  Act on the Guarantee of Freedom and Functions
of Newspapers (amended in 2005)
 Article 17. Market-dominating business operators
- one business operator whose market share accounts for
not less than 30% of the average number of newspapers
- 3 or more business operators whose total market share
accouts for not less than 60% of the average number of
newspapers
 Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade
: Article 3-2 (Prohibition on the Abuse of Market Dominance)