Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Appoints Nine Members to 8th Regional Newspaper Development Committee... Cho Sangjin Named Chair

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on January 14 that it has appointed nine members to the 8th Regional Newspaper Development Committee. The appointed members are non-standing and will serve a three-year term.

The Regional Newspaper Development Committee is an organization established to support the development of regional newspapers in accordance with the Special Act on the Support of Regional Newspapers. Its responsibilities include providing opinions on the establishment of support plans for regional newspapers, deliberating on the creation and management of the Regional Newspaper Development Fund, and reviewing the selection of organizations eligible for priority support from the fund.

Kim Youngsoo, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (center), and members of the 8th Regional Newspaper Development Committee are taking a commemorative photo. [Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

The members of the 8th committee, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows: Kim Jini, former Editor-in-Chief of Goyang News; Kim Changwoo, former Head of Future Strategy Planning at Gangwon Ilbo; Ahn Sangho, former Director of Maeil Shinmun; Oh Sewook, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at Sunmoon University; Woo Heechang, Chairman of the Citizens' Media Cooperative; Lim Hansoon, Distinguished Professor at Kyungil University; Jeong Hoosik, former Editorial Writer at Gwangju Ilbo; Cho Sangjin, former Editorial Writer at Jeonbuk Ilbo; and Choi Changryeol, Distinguished Professor at Yongin University, for a total of nine members.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, and media-related organizations (the Korea Newspaper Association, the Journalists Association of Korea, and the Korean Society for Journalism and Communication Studies) each recommended three members, considering their expertise and field experience related to regional newspapers.

The 8th committee held its first meeting on this day, electing Cho Sangjin as chair and Choi Changryeol as vice-chair, and discussed future operational plans for the committee.

Kim Youngsoo, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Although regional newspapers are facing significant challenges in the rapidly changing media environment, especially with the acceleration of digital transformation, the role of the committee is all the more important in such times. I hope the committee will actively support regional newspapers so that they can represent the diverse voices of local communities and drive positive change, thereby serving as a solid foundation for regional democracy."