Two-thirds of digital outlets run on shoestring budgets as sector expands

South Korea's digital media landscape has expanded at a breakneck pace, but the surge in numbers masks deep structural problems, recent government data shows.
The number of online newspapers has nearly doubled since 2015, reaching 12,327 as of Sunday, according to the latest update to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism's biannual registration system.
Traditional media grew at a far slower rate during this period. General daily newspapers inched up from 292 to 342, while magazines rose from 5,008 to 5,911. Online outlets now make up 46.7 percent of the country's 26,390 registered media organizations, up from 33.7 percent in 2015.
South Korea stands out globally for its concrete legal framework specifically governing "internet newspapers." The government doesn't just define digital outlets -- it maintains strict technical criteria for all forms of media.
Under the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, traditional papers must publish at least twice monthly and cover topics from politics to culture. Internet newspapers, per Article 2(2), must operate through digital networks and meet requirements set by a presidential decree.
These legal guardrails, however, conceal a vague regulatory landscape. While the Presidential Decree requires online outlets to independently produce 30 percent of their weekly articles, the definition of "independently produced" remains murky.
The Korea Press Foundation's 2024 Annual News Industry Report, released last December, offers the most comprehensive analysis of the sector to date. The findings, drawn from 2023 data, reveal an industry wrestling with shaky infrastructure, chronic understaffing and quality control issues.
The foundation surveyed 6,218 active newspapers -- 4,870 online and 1,348 print -- and received responses from 5,147 of them. The focus on publishing outlets hints at a telling fact: Over half of all registered online media organizations haven't produced any news.
Money tells another story about the struggles of online media. Despite sector revenue jumping 43.1 percent to reach some 1.19 trillion won in 2023, inequality runs deep. Two-thirds of online newspapers qualify as small businesses, pulling in less than 100 million won annually. Most run very lean operations: Online outlets average just four journalists, while daily newspapers employ an average of 46.
"The entire news sector faces a structural crisis in both production and audience engagement," Lee Jong-myung, a senior media researcher at Sungkyunkwan University, told The Korea Herald. "Whether it's internet news sites or social media platforms, outlets now live and die by clicks. Journalistic principles often suffer as a result."
Limited resources and a lack of established systems make online outlets particularly vulnerable to market pressures, Lee said. "Established newsrooms have built-in safeguards -- time-tested practices, clear guidelines and adequate staffing. That's their edge."
"But smaller online outlets tell a different story," he said. "They're chronically short-handed. Even seasoned journalists end up juggling multiple roles -- writing, editing and managing content. Without proper resources or newsroom systems, you get a perfect storm: skeleton crews, no editorial routines and few checks and balances."