[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The American daily newspaper The New York Times (NYT) announced that it will relocate the digital news division of its Hong Kong bureau to Seoul. NYT cited the Chinese government's enforcement of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the expansion of uncertainties due to U.S. sanctions as reasons for the move. It is expected that many major foreign media outlets, which have been concentrated in Hong Kong, will relocate their Asian bureaus in the future.
On the 14th (local time), NYT stated that it will transfer employees of the digital news division of its Hong Kong bureau to Seoul from this year through next year. This accounts for about one-third of the staff. NYT is the first major foreign media outlet to announce leaving Hong Kong. NYT explained, "Uncertainty has increased due to the Chinese government's enforcement of the Hong Kong National Security Law, and the outlook for Hong Kong as a journalism hub city in Asia has become uncertain," adding, "Obtaining work permits, which had not been much of an issue until now in Hong Kong, is becoming difficult."
NYT has operated its Asia regional digital news headquarters in Hong Kong, running a 24-hour news operation system. It was one of the major bureaus alongside the New York headquarters and the London bureau. Initially, The New York Times considered several candidates for relocating part of its digital functions from Hong Kong, including Seoul, Bangkok in Thailand, Singapore, and Tokyo in Japan. Among these, Seoul reportedly received high marks for being friendly to foreign companies, having independent media, and playing an important role in the Asian news market.
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