[2021 National Audit] "Media Promotion Fund Biased Towards Chosun, JoongAng, and Dong-A"

32.0% Support Provided from 37.5 Billion Over the Past Decade
"Limited Selection Criteria Deepen the Rich-Poor Divide"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Concerns have been raised that the Press Promotion Fund is disproportionately concentrated on Chosun, JoongAng, and Dong-A Ilbo newspapers. According to data from the Korea Press Foundation disclosed by Rep. Kim Eui-gyeom (Open Democratic Party) of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 19th, the total amount of the Press Promotion Fund directly supported to media outlets over the past 10 years until last year was 37.523649 billion KRW. Of this, 32.0% went to Chosun, JoongAng, and Dong-A Ilbo. Chosun Ilbo received 4.138444 billion KRW, Dong-A Ilbo received 4.00357 billion KRW, and JoongAng Ilbo received 3.721588 billion KRW, respectively.

Rep. Kim pointed to the capital and the circulation audit by the ABC Association as the limited selection criteria causing the rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer phenomenon. "Excluding the approximately 1.1 trillion KRW in government advertising expenses annually, the amount directly supported to newspapers additionally reaches the 5 billion KRW range," he said, adding, "Measures should be devised to ensure various media receive fair support." The Press Promotion Fund is used for support projects such as subscription fees for underprivileged groups, newspaper delivery fees, planned investigations, and digital media services. It has steadily increased every year from 2.863 billion KRW in 2011 to 4.910 billion KRW last year.