🇰🇷 Dong-A Ilbo

About Dong-A Ilbo

Dong-A Ilbo is the parent company of Dong-a Media Group (DAMG), a major South Korean media conglomerate that includes 11 affiliates and the broadcasting company Channel A. The current chairman is Kim Byeong-gwan. A notable corporate affiliation exists through the marriage of Chairman Kim Byeong-kwan's second son to the second daughter of Lee Kun-hee, linking the outlet to the Samsung Group and suggesting potential influence.

Dong-A Ilbo, founded in 1920, has a history of advocating for press freedom, particularly during the Japanese colonial period and the military dictatorships of the 1970s, for which it received the Golden Pen of Freedom in 1982. However, during the Park Chung Hee administration, it succumbed to government pressure in the 'blank advertisement incident,' leading to the firing of critical journalists, an event the Truth and Reconciliation Commission later attributed to Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) orchestration. Currently, Dong-A Ilbo is widely considered one of South Korea's three major conservative newspapers. While generally conservative, it has shown instances of critical reporting against the government, even against conservative administrations. South Korea's press freedom environment, while generally free, faces challenges including defamation laws, national security limitations, and potential influence from both government and large corporations through advertising.