Maeil sinbo
Maeil sinbo was a Korean-language daily newspaper published in Seoul from 1910 to 1945, during Japan’s colonial rule. It traced its roots to The Korea Daily News, which began in 1904 and was tied to the Korean independence movement. After pressure from Japan, the paper’s ownership changed hands in 1910 and it was renamed Maeil sinbo on August 30, 1910. It soon merged with Taehan Sinmun and came under the control of the Japanese authorities, sharing leadership with the Keijō nippō newspaper and its editor Tokutomi Sohō, who urged Korean staff to avoid anti-Japanese reporting.
In the 1910s Maeil sinbo was one of the few Korean-language newspapers allowed to operate. It also promoted Korean literature and culture, hosting large cultural events. After the March 1919 independence protests, more freedom in the press allowed some Korean editors to move to new papers, such as the Dong-a Ilbo. The Maeil sinbo reorganized in 1920 and hired Korea’s first female reporter, Yi Kakkyŏng. In the 1930s it expanded its format and activities, publishing a monthly magazine (1934–1935) and a Japanese-language youth paper (began in 1939). In 1938 the paper declared independence from the Keijō nippō, changing a character in its name and making ownership more Korean-minded (about 40% private Korean ownership, 60% government-owned). It then grew to eight pages and ran a special issue on Korean history and calligraphy. It also published a Japanese-language magazine from 1938 to 1944.
By the early 1940s Maeil sinbo was Korea’s largest Korean-language daily, with a wide network, a circulation around half a million, and a strong focus on both news and cultural content. During World War II it largely supported Japan’s war efforts, praising victories and urging Koreans to prepare for continued struggle. The paper used euphemistic terms for the atomic bombs and did not foreground the bombings on the front page.
Japan surrendered in August 1945. The Maeil sinbo reported the surrender with a cautious tone, then supported the cause of Korean independence. The U.S. Army arrived in October 1945 and took control. On November 10, 1945, the army ordered the paper to print only one side per day. The Maeil sinbo was reorganized and resumed publication on November 23, 1945, as Seoul Shinmun, with independence activist O Se-chang as its first president.
Maeil sinbo holds an important place in Korean press history as the dominant Korean-language newspaper of its era, and many later Korean-language journalists came from its ranks.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:19 (CET).