Overview of the Press in South Korea

Foundations of European Communication Studies5916291

Ki Hyun Kim

Three media systems

The ‘Liberal model’ : USA, Britain, Canada, Ireland - Strong development of the newspaper press, journalistic professionalism- Very limited political parallelism- Weak government intervention- The market plays a strong role

The ‘Polarized Pluralistic Model’ : Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, France

- Late and incomplete development of the press- Weak professionalization- Strong elements of political parallelism- A strong role of the state

The ‘Democratic Corporatist Model’ : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

- Political systems are consensual- Pluralism is organized and moderate- Professionalization of journalism is high- The state is involved in economic matters

Hallin & Mancini's

Early History of Press Market

Korea’s first modern newspaper : The Dongnip Sinmun (Independence Newsp

-aper), established in 1896

Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-1945)

The Chosun Ilbo and the Dong-A Ilbo

inaugurated in 1920

Under Military Dictatorship

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

Liberalization in politics

★ June 29, 1987 Liberalization in politics- The government officially abandoned the authoritarianism- Truly free press and liberalization in politics

[Registered Daily Newspapers]

After the Democratisation

- Capital controls the media

- The age of keen competition - Concentrated ownership

- Commercialisation and Sensationalisation

Daily Circulations

400,000Korea Daily News

200,000Segye Times

300,000Munhwa Ilbo

350,000Kukmin Daily

400,000Hankyoreh Shinmun

450,000Kyunghyang Shinmun

700,000Hankok Ilbo

2,100,000Dong-a Ilbo

2,350,000Joong-ang Ilbo

2,450,000Chosun Ilbo

CirculationsName

National dailies:

Korea: 213 copies per 1000 people※ United Kingdom: 303 / Belgium: 173 / France: 167

Selected local dailies:

November 2001

100,000Kookje Daily News

170,000Daegu Maeil shinmun

400,000Busan Ilbo

CirculationsName

The Newspaper Market Share

24.4

18.8

14.9

5.8

4.33.7

28.1Chosun

JoongAng

Dong-A

Kyunghyang

Maeil Economy

Hangyerye

Others

[2008]

★ Top 3 market share = 58.1% → Oligopoly (62.3% in 2006)

State Intervention

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)

Hot Issue: Deregulation Plan

Easing the ban on ‘Cross Media Ownership’

Large firms with more than 3 trillion won (190 million Euro) in assets are banned from owning news channels

→ 10 trillion won (630 million Euro)

Remove coglomerates’ 49% limit of shareholding in the satellite broadcasting sector

Allow conglomerates to hold up to 49% in a terrestrial DMB business

Foreingers’ shareholding limit in the satellite broadcasting setor will be lifted from 33% to 49%

VSPluralism

Diversity

Efficiency

Competition

Conclusion

Pattern of Variation in Four Media System Dimensionson the analogy of Hallin & Mancini

Getting lower Low High High State intervention

Getting Higher High High Low Professionalization

Getting Lower Low High High Political parallelism

HighHigh High Low Development of mass press

KoreaLiberalDemocratic corporatist

Polarized pluralist

Conclusion

Korea

Change of Media Usage

[Newspaper Subscription Rate Per People. 1996 ~ 2006]

[Weekly Newspaper Reading Hours of Internet Users]