The Chosun Ilbo
Overview
The Chosun Ilbo (조선일보, The Chosun Ilbo) is a representative conservative daily newspaper in South Korea, first published on March 5, 1920. Its headquarters are located in Taepyeong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, and it has been a major pillar of the Korean media landscape in terms of circulation and influence. The Chosun Ilbo has been deeply involved in major events of modern Korean history, demonstrating strong agenda-setting power across politics, economy, and society. While primarily representing the voice of the conservative camp, it has also occasionally clashed with the government, playing a role in safeguarding press freedom and monitoring power in Korea.
Main Content
Founding and History
The Chosun Ilbo was founded in 1920 during the Japanese colonial period with an identity as a national newspaper. At its inception, it aimed to promote national enlightenment and independence awareness, but faced multiple suspensions and censorship incidents (필화, 筆禍) under Japanese oppression. After liberation in 1945, it clearly adopted an anti-communist and liberal democratic stance, maintaining a conservative position supporting government policies during the Korean War and military regimes. During the democratization movement of the 1980s, it attempted to maintain critical reporting amid conflicts with the government, but its influence grew further after the June 1987 uprising expanded press freedom.
Page Composition and Digital Transformation
The Chosun Ilbo is a comprehensive daily newspaper traditionally composed of various sections including politics, economy, society, international affairs, culture, and sports. In particular, its front-page top story and editorials (社說) have a significant impact on public opinion. With the spread of the internet in the 1990s, the Chosun Ilbo actively pursued digital transformation, launching the first internet newspaper service in Korea in 1995. Currently, it provides 24-hour news through its official website and mobile app, and has strengthened video content via social media channels such as YouTube. It operates a paid news service through a digital subscription model and has invested in technological innovation, including the introduction of an AI-based news recommendation system.
Political Orientation and Controversies
The Chosun Ilbo is clearly classified as a conservative media outlet. It has generally maintained friendly relations with successive conservative governments (Rhee Syngman, Park Chung-hee, Chun Doo-hwan, Kim Young-sam, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, Yoon Suk-yeol), while strongly criticizing progressive governments (Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in). This political bias has consistently sparked debates over media neutrality and fairness. Particularly since the 2000s, the Chosun Ilbo has been referred to as part of the "Cho-Joong-Dong" (Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-A Ilbo) term, becoming a focal point of criticism from the progressive camp. It has also been involved in several social conflicts, including allegations of collusion with the Park Geun-hye government during the 2016 corruption scandal and controversies over press union suppression in the 2020s.
Management and Revenue Structure
The Chosun Ilbo is published by Chosun Ilbo Co., with affiliates including the broadcasting channel TV Chosun, the magazine 'Monthly Chosun', the education business 'Chosun Education', and exhibition/convention businesses. TV Chosun launched as a general programming channel in 2011, broadcasting news, current affairs, and entertainment programs, competing for viewership ratings. The Chosun Ilbo's revenue comes from newspaper sales, advertising, digital subscriptions, and affiliate businesses. Recently, due to the decline of the print newspaper market and accelerated digital transformation, advertising revenue has been decreasing, but the company is seeking revenue diversification through paid digital content and ancillary businesses.
Social Influence and Criticism
The Chosun Ilbo is regarded as a media outlet with strong agenda-setting power in Korean society. As a key conservative media outlet, it has led public opinion across politics, economy, and culture. However, it has also faced criticism for distorting facts or being biased in some reports, to the extent that the critical neologism 'giregi' (기레기, journalist + trash) emerged. Particularly since the 2010s, issues such as fake news controversies, allegations of public opinion manipulation, and excessive attacks on specific politicians have been problematic. Additionally, allegations of union suppression and violations of press freedom have been consistently raised.
Latest Trends
From 2024 to the present in 2025, the Chosun Ilbo has accelerated its digital transformation, introducing AI technology into news production. It is piloting an AI-based article writing system and strengthening data journalism and personalized news services. Additionally, its YouTube channel 'Chosun Ilbo' has surpassed 2 million subscribers, ranking among the top news media channels. Politically, it has maintained a tone supporting the conservative camp during the 2024 general election and the 2025 presidential election, continuing criticism of the progressive government. Meanwhile, TV Chosun has performed well in viewership competition with current affairs and entertainment programs, though some programs have been embroiled in political bias controversies. In 2025, the Chosun Ilbo has made efforts to restore credibility by publishing AI ethics guidelines and strengthening its fact-checking system.
Related Topics
- [[JoongAng Ilbo]]
- [[Dong-A Ilbo]]
- [[TV Chosun]]
- [[History of Korean Media]]
- [[Conservatism]]
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