Samteo, Korea’s Longest-Running Cultural Magazine, Suspended Indefinitely After 56 Years

"Print Media Losing Competitiveness, No Longer Sustainable"

Samteo, the nation’s longest-running monthly magazine focused on culture and knowledge, will be suspended indefinitely after 56 years since its launch.

On December 10, Samteosa announced, “With the rapid decline in the competitiveness of print media due to the widespread adoption of smartphones and the proliferation of video content, it has become increasingly difficult to continue.” The company stated that the magazine will cease publication after the January 2026 issue (total issue number 671), which will be released on December 24.

First published in April 1970, Samteo has aimed to be “a magazine for the happiness of ordinary people,” regularly featuring essays and interviews by prominent writers of the era such as Pi Cheon-deuk, Choi Inho, Jeong Chaebong, Buddhist monk Beopjeong, and Sister Lee Haein, as well as stories from readers. To date, more than 11,000 reader submissions have been published.

Choi Inho’s “Family” was serialized for 34 years, and Buddhist monk Beopjeong’s “Sanbang Handam” ran for 16 years, both earning long-standing affection from readers. Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Han Kang also worked as a staff reporter at the editorial department after graduating from university, leaving her mark on the magazine’s history. The magazine’s founder, former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jaesoon, set its direction by stating, “We will be a companion to those who strive to live life without falsehood.”

During the 1970s to the early 1990s, when print media had the greatest influence, Samteo led the golden age of cultural magazines, selling as many as 500,000 copies per month. However, the digital transition and a decline in the reading population led to a continuous decrease in subscriptions and advertising revenue. The ongoing financial difficulties since the mid-1990s resulted in the magazine’s first suspension in 2019. Although it was relaunched thanks to corporate sponsorship and reader participation, further declines in sales and worsening profitability have ultimately led to the decision to suspend publication again.

Kim Seonggu, publisher of Samteo, said, “While the magazine is closing, we will continue to publish books,” and added, “We will seek ways to ensure that Samteo’s philosophy, which has always valued attitude toward life over material success, can continue.” Editor-in-chief Han Jaewon also commented, “If the financial situation improves, we are always willing to resume publication. This time, rather than relying on readers or corporate sponsors, we hope to restart only when we are able to relaunch through our own capabilities.”

The January 2026 issue, which will effectively be the final edition, will be themed “Cherish Youth,” the same as the inaugural issue. Philosopher Kim Hyungseok, an honorary professor at Yonsei University and contributor to the first issue, Sister Lee Haein, who has maintained a long relationship with Samteo, and poet Jeong Hoseung, who worked as an editorial reporter, are all scheduled to contribute special essays for the suspension edition.