🇰🇷 Hankyoreh

About Hankyoreh

Hankyoreh was founded in 1988 by dissident journalists and is owned by Hankyoreh Media Co. through a unique public subscription model with approximately 62,000 citizen shareholders, none holding more than 1% of shares. This structure aims to ensure independence from corporate or political influence.

Hankyoreh is widely regarded as a left-leaning or center-left liberal newspaper, emphasizing progressive values, human rights, social justice, and peaceful inter-Korean relations. While it was once voted the most trusted news organization by Korean journalists, it has faced criticism for partisan bias, particularly favoring progressive narratives and the Democratic Party. Allegations include selective framing, issue filtering, and, in some instances, spreading misinformation, leading to past libel suits. South Korea's press freedom, while generally respected, has been classified as 'problematic' by Reporters Without Borders, citing concerns over government pressure and defamation laws.