[Hankyoreh, April 9 2008] Major S. Korean newspapers in flux under new administration

Changes in editorial position reflect shift in political landscape, desire for individuality and power

Are South Korea’s three major newspapers going a different way under the Lee Myung-bak administration? The Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo have been critical of previous governments in their reports and editorials, but their editorial positions seem to be changing these days, presenting different views of the major polices and political moves made by the Lee administration, which took office on February 25. Chosun seems to be distancing itself from the incumbent government, while the other two are being more friendly toward it.

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Still, some dismiss the idea that there is a difference between the three publications, saying that it is too early to talk about any changes in the political leanings of the three newspapers. Choi Kyung-jin, a professor at the Catholic University of Daegu, said, “Chosun has been maintaining a pro-business stance, especially regarding the Samsung scandal and other big issues ... We cannot say for certain that Chosun is keeping a distance from the government by analyzing articles from just the past one or two months.”