We need a progressive broadcaster to restore balance to a broadcast public sphere dominated by conservative voices.
Park Chan-soo, who took office as Hankyoreh’s CEO on the 29th of last month, said he will tackle the longstanding challenge of bringing the paper into the broadcasting market. He intends to lay out concrete plans during his term and said he would consider relocating the paper’s headquarters if a broadcast operation requires it.
In an interview with Media Today, Park argued that Hankyoreh must enter broadcasting to survive. He said forming a consortium to launch a news-focused channel is realistically achievable. If launching a full news channel proves too difficult, he said the paper would first consider starting a lower-barrier PP (Program Provider). Hankyoreh formed a New Media Strategy Task Force in December 2007 to study broadcasting entry, and related pledges have resurfaced at every CEO election since. In 2024 the paper explored acquiring TBS, but the plan did not materialize.
Media Today met Park on the 8th at Hankyoreh’s headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Below is the edited interview.
– You joined Hankyoreh as a rookie reporter and rose to CEO. You lost the 2023 CEO election and faced setbacks. This must feel significant.
“I joined in 1989 and worked through Hankyoreh’s period of rapid growth and expansion. After 2010, I felt the paper’s standing and influence decline. That troubled me and made me want to change things. Many of our newer staff never experienced the boom years, and I worry they see a diminished organization. I wanted to revive Hankyoreh’s former standing, so I ran for CEO.”
– You pledged to enter broadcasting during the campaign. That requires huge funding. Is it realistic?
“Entering broadcasting isn’t optional. To move beyond a business model built on print, Hankyoreh must grow its influence in broadcast and new media to reclaim a central place in the progressive ecosystem. Some say, ‘You can just do YouTube,’ but YouTube is highly partisan and doesn’t always allow rigorous journalism to thrive. There’s a clear need for a progressive-leaning broadcaster. Generalist pay-TV channels began with conservative newspapers, and news channels can shift with the political tides. To restore fairness to a broadcast public sphere skewed toward the right, a progressive broadcaster is necessary. Launching a generalist channel demands enormous capital, so forming a consortium to start a news channel seems realistic. I plan to pursue this in my term. We’re weighing whether to launch a news channel immediately or to begin as a PP and transition gradually. We’re also carefully considering potential changes to broadcasting law.”
– You also pledged to relocate the headquarters, saying you’d consider moving to Sangam if Hankyoreh enters broadcasting.
“Our biggest concern is the symbolic value of the current building. Architect Jo Geon-yeong designed it in 1991 to embody Hankyoreh’s values, and that symbolism explains why past CEOs pledged to move but didn’t follow through. That said, property values in Mapo have risen. Selling the current building could fund a move. Hankyoreh marks its 40th anniversary in two years, and I plan to present a blueprint for a new headquarters by then. If we launch broadcasting, we’ll need office space suited to those operations, and we’ll seek consensus with readers, shareholders and retired colleagues.”
– You plan to collaborate with TBS in the upcoming local elections. Why partner with TBS rather than use Hankyoreh’s own content?
“We’re preparing a joint election-night broadcast with TBS for the local vote count. Under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, TBS suddenly lost its microphone because of local political pressure. That effectively denied Seoul residents’ right to know and set a worrying precedent: political power could determine the fate of a regional public broadcaster. Hankyoreh and Hankyoreh TV want to pursue public responsibility and independence alongside citizens and TBS staff, which is why we planned this joint broadcast. We’ve formed a working group and are coordinating closely from planning through production. Broadly, TBS will provide studio infrastructure while Hankyoreh TV will handle programming and talent booking.”
– You took over as CEO during a turbulent period. Management resigned en masse after the controversy over changing a headline about Hyundai Motor Group’s eldest son.
“I deeply regret the worry we caused readers and citizens. An internal audit clearly identified the issue, and staff agreed we had to fix it. The personnel changes are complete, and the organization has stabilized. We still need institutional reforms, such as clear standards for editing and deleting digital articles.”
– Several scandals have emerged recently, including an editor accepting money from real estate developer Kim Man-bae. Given Hankyoreh’s reputation, readers must feel particularly disappointed.
“Disappointment is, sadly, part of Hankyoreh’s reality. Readers and citizens hold us to higher moral and ethical standards. Hankyoreh was founded as a people-owned paper that didn’t rely on corporations or government, and that identity matters. After 38 years and more than 500 staff, incidents will occur. The important thing is to address problems quickly and decisively, not to hide or downplay them, and to put institutional safeguards in place. If we get trapped in our internal perspective, we risk losing trust; transparency and corrective measures are essential.”
– Under progressive governments, progressive outlets can also face difficulties because many core readers support the administration and could defect if coverage criticizes it.
“When conservatives govern, content direction can be clearer. Under a progressive government, things become messier. Readers want a progressive government to succeed, so simple criticism won’t satisfy them. We must make the case that Hankyoreh’s reporting helps the government—and society—succeed. I covered the Blue House during President Kim Dae-jung’s term; while some reporting was sharply critical, it was later viewed as constructive. Short-term tensions with readers may arise, but that’s part of journalism’s duty. I believe Hankyoreh’s critical reporting can ultimately aid social progress.”
– Every time the government changes, debates flare over whether to use the honorific “yeosa” (First Lady). Hankyoreh has struggled with this too.
“The key is not to change our standards lightly under social pressure. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, we used ‘ssi’ for Kwon Yang-sook under our style rules; readers protested, but our explanation prevented a larger controversy. Later, when we used ‘ssi’ for Kwon during Moon Jae-in’s presidency, public outcry forced us to switch to ‘yeosa.’ After the next government change we listed Kim Keon-hee as ‘yeosa’ and faced intense backlash. When you change standards, you must explain the reasons and the process transparently and engage readers in the discussion.”
– Progressive YouTube channels like “There Is No Humility with Kim Eo-jun” and the “Maebul Show” now wield huge influence. Their political impact is growing. Are you concerned?
“In politics, YouTube’s influence rivals legacy media and, for some generations and groups, already surpasses it. The conservative camp shows the same pattern. Even when conservative newspapers criticize a figure, their core supporters don’t waver because they get political information and form judgments on YouTube. That’s political influence. Last year Hankyoreh launched ‘News Dive,’ a live YouTube program, to expand our reach. Still, media must constantly ask what kind of influence it seeks. We’re trying to grow reach while keeping that influence aligned with Hankyoreh’s progressive values—that will be an ongoing challenge.”
– Hankyoreh TV has about 980,000 subscribers, but its view counts lag behind that number.
“By raw views, we may fall short compared with large, individually run channels. Still, in a politics-driven YouTube market fueled by fandoms, we’ve focused on fact-checking and contextual explanation, and tried to keep journalism’s core principles intact. Securing roughly one million subscribers and showing meaningful revenue growth is a notable achievement. We have shortcomings, of course. To address them, we recently consolidated fragmented video teams into a single Video Bureau. We will also experiment beyond politics—in knowledge, culture and practical economic content.”
– Your newsroom elects its CEO from among the staff, a unique system. That can produce factions, election fatigue and internal political conflicts. How will you unite the staff?
“Factions exist—every organization has them. Hankyoreh had intense factional disputes early on, so compared with that history the current situation is moderate. Factions can be constructive: a range of opinions can help the organization find new paths. Internal conflicts flared over episodes like the Cho Kuk affair and debates over Yoon Seok-yeol’s political entry; those divisions mirror broader differences within the progressive camp. To manage conflict, we must rely on journalism standards. You can’t force someone to change their views; instead, produce work that follows journalistic principles and accept differences within that framework. For political and social issues, we’ll host small-group discussions led by the Journalism Responsibility Office with diverse participants and share the outcomes with staff.”
– Print influence keeps falling, and Hankyoreh’s power has weakened. How will you reverse that?
“It’s hard to deny that Hankyoreh’s influence and standing have declined. The biggest cause is the changing media environment. At times we’ve failed to win majority support within the progressive camp on key issues, and there have been moments when journalistic standards wavered. Restoring our past stature exactly may be unrealistic. But regaining trust as the most reliable source for opinion leaders is an achievable and practical goal. I believe we can become the media outlet that policymakers, businesses and other journalists most trust and reference.”
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