Now In Korea
First Person Called a "Reporter" in Korea Was Syngman Rhee, New Media Chronology Shows
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Professor Jeong Jin-seok, 86, released "A Chronicle of Korean Media" (about 5,000 manuscript pages), a detailed day-by-day history of Korean journalism from the early court gazette (jobo) to modern social media and COVID-19 coverage. Using a chronological framework with thematic summaries, the book traces milestones such as the 1883 founding of Hansung Sunbo (the first modern newspaper), wartime-era papers under tight colonial control, post-liberation media developments, major tax probes in 2001, the 2008 mad cow (BSE) reporting controversy, and large broadcasting union strikes in 2012. Jeong notes that early journalism had no direct equivalent of the modern term "reporter"; instead roles were called chaebangin, tamboin, or gijaewon, and the first person to be called a "reporter" (gija) was Syngman Rhee in 1898 at the Empire Newspaper. About half the book focuses on developments since 2000, reflecting the proliferation of media, lawsuits, and unions. Jeong argues that media history is inseparable from Korea’s political and cultural modern history and plans further works, including a register of journalists honored for democratic contributions. (jobo: early court gazette; tamboin and gijaewon: historical Korean terms for reporting roles)
Like the information?