The Chosun Ilbo

The Chosun Ilbo is a big newspaper.

It tells news in South Korea. It is one of the oldest papers there.

A man named Sin Sogu started it in 1920. The paper had many hard times. The government once stopped it from printing.

It used to write from top to bottom. Now, it writes from left to right. This is how most papers work today.

The paper also has a website. It tells news in many ways to talk. It is a very important paper for many people.

The Chosun Ilbo is a major newspaper in South Korea.

It is one of the oldest papers in the country. Sin Sogu founded the paper on March 5, 1920. It has faced many hard times in its history. The Japanese ruling government stopped the paper in 1940. Before 1932, the government took its issues over five hundred times. The paper started again after Korea gained independence in 1945.

In 1999, the paper changed how it writes. It used to write from top to bottom. Now, it writes from left to right. This is how most modern papers work. It still uses hanja, which are Chinese characters.

The paper is very large. More than 1,800,000 people read it every day. It also has a website called Chosun.com. This site shares news in English, Chinese, and Japanese. The company makes other papers too. These include the Weekly Chosun and Monthly Chosun. Some people disagree with the paper's views. It has faced many arguments about its reporting on North Korea. It has also faced legal trouble regarding taxes and money.

The Chosun Ilbo is a very important newspaper in South Korea. It is known as a newspaper of record for the country. This means people look to it for important news and facts. It is also one of the oldest newspapers still working in Korea. Every day, more than 1,800,000 people read its pages. The company also runs a website called Chosun.com. This site shares news in English, Chinese, and Japanese.

Learning how the paper works involves looking at its many parts. The main company has several smaller branches called subsidiaries. These include the Weekly Chosun and the Monthly Chosun. There is also Edu-Chosun and a business paper called ChosunBiz. Digital Chosun helps run the news website for readers online. The paper has also changed how it is written. For a long time, it used a vertical style. This meant writing went from top to bottom and right to left.

The history of the paper began a long time ago. Sin Sogu founded the newspaper on March 5, 1920. He had help from the Daejong Business Association. Cho Jin-Tae was the very first president of the paper. However, the paper had many hard years early on. The Japanese ruling government stopped the paper in 1940. Before 1932, the government took away its issues over five hundred times. The paper finally started again in 1945 after Korea gained independence.

There are many specific dates to remember about its changes. On March 1, 1999, the paper made a big choice. It decided to switch to a horizontal writing style. This means writing goes from left to right across the page. This was the last mainstream Korean paper to use the old style. The change happened just before the paper's 79th anniversary. Even with this change, they still use hanja characters. Hanja are special characters from Chinese that are used in Korean writing.

The newspaper has also faced many big arguments and legal issues. It often takes a hard stance against North Korea. This has led to heavy criticism and even threats. In 2005, people investigated if the paper helped the Japanese Empire. The paper also had legal trouble with its leader, Bang Sang-hoon. In 2002, he was accused of problems with taxes and company money. The Supreme Court later gave him a sentence involving a fine and prison time.

The Chosun Ilbo, also known as The Chosun Daily, is a major Korean-language newspaper in South Korea. It serves as a newspaper of record for the nation. This means it is considered a primary source for important news and historical facts. It is one of the oldest active newspapers currently operating in the country. The publication maintains a massive reach with a daily circulation exceeding 1,800,000 readers.

To understand how the company operates, one must look at its various branches. These are called subsidiaries, which are smaller companies owned by a larger one. The main company manages several different publications. These include the Weekly Chosun and the Monthly Chosun. It also operates ChosunBiz for business news and Edu-Chosun for education. Digital Chosun is the branch that runs the Chosun.com news website. This website provides news in several languages, including English, Chinese, and Japanese.

The history of the newspaper began in the early 20th century. Sin Sogu founded the paper on March 5, 1920. He received financial support from the Daejong Business Association. Cho Jin-Tae served as the first president in 1920. However, the relationship with the Association broke down quickly due to unpaid finances. This led to Yoo Moon-Hwan replacing Cho as president on August 15, 1920. The paper faced many hardships during its early years. It even went on a hiatus in 1921 because of money troubles.

During the period of Japanese rule, the newspaper faced severe government pressure. The Japanese ruling government officially discontinued the paper on July 10, 1940. This happened right after the publication of an editorial series titled "Lessons of American Realism." In the twenty years following its founding, the government suspended the paper four times. Before 1932, authorities had confiscated its issues more than five hundred times. The paper finally resumed its regular publication in 1945 after Korea gained independence.

A major technical change occurred for the newspaper in the late 1990s. For most of its history, the paper used a vertical writing style. This meant text was written from top to bottom and right to left. On March 1, 1999, the paper announced it would switch to a horizontal style. This new style moves from left to right across the page. The March 1 issue was the last one written in the old vertical style. It was also the last mainstream Korean paper to use that method. Even after the switch, the paper committed to using hanja, which are Chinese characters used in Korean writing.

The Chosun Ilbo has been involved in several significant controversies. It is known for taking a hardline stance against North Korea. This stance led to heavy criticism and threats from the North. For example, the paper opposed the Sunshine Policy of President Kim Dae-jung. This policy aimed to improve relations through cooperation and economic engagement. In May 2019, the paper reported that a North Korean diplomat had been executed. However, the diplomat was seen in public only two days later.

Legal and political investigations have also shaped the paper's reputation. In 2005, the South Korean government and activists investigated the paper's past. They looked into whether the paper collaborated with the Japanese Empire. This was due to articles published between 1938 and 1940 that praised the Japanese Imperial House. Additionally, the company's leadership faced serious legal battles. In 2002, chairman Bang Sang-hoon was indicted for tax evasion and embezzlement.

The legal issues regarding Bang Sang-hoon involved very large sums of money. He was accused of evading 6.2 billion won in taxes. He was also accused of embezzling 4.5 billion won from company funds. Later, in 2006, he faced further charges for evading 2.35 billion won in gift taxes. He had allegedly transferred 65,000 shares to his son through a nominal trust. The Supreme Court eventually sentenced him to three years in prison. This sentence included a four-year suspended sentence and a 2.5 billion won fine.