The Korea Advertisers Association announced the subscription rate of newspapers withinSeoul in 2006. The Chosun Ilbo, the JoongAng? Ilbo and the Dong-A Ilbo newspapers accounted for 13.5 percent, 11.2percent and 8percnet each. According to the rate, it is oligopoly of three major newspapers on subscription. Sum of the other minor newspapers rate (7.4%) was smaller than rate of the Dong-a newspaper (8%), one of the three major newspapers. Of course, the sum of three newspapers is bigger than the others. This situation implied, although the number of newspapers was diverse, the newspaper market is formed by the triumvirate of the newspaper market as an oligopoly construction. Extremely speaking, the others newspapers were existed as formality organizations which can not release their influence upon the market.

Since the triumvirate spread their newspapers in the whole country excepting two regions, the oligopoly is not only generated in Seoul. The Chosun Ilbo has the most of subscription rate in 8 regions. Ulsan Metropolitan City presented the first position on subscription rate to the JoongAng Ilbo. And the Dong-A Ilbo took the first position in 4 regions and Choongcheongbok-do (with the Chosun Ilbo) laying aside the local newspapers.

This situation is related to Korean history aftermath of the Japanese imperialism and the Korean military regime.

Distortion was generated in Korea press as Korea was degraded for colony of Japan. So, Japan forbade Korea to making region newspapers can express various Korean’s opinions. After the Independence Movement occurred in March 1st, 1919, Japanese permitted publication of the Korean newspapers. However, it was only to control the rage against them. In this situation, the newspaper made by Japan did not represent public opinion of Korean, but only comforted domination. The local papers were existed with such a condition - to help Japanese to advance into whole Korean peninsula. Right after regain independence from Japanese, we could release newspapers not only in Seoul but also in the others regions because there ware region facilities used by Japanese.

 When the former presidents Park ruled Korea from early 1960s to end of 1970s, the press control policy was made by the government. At that time local newspapers climbed at its top of height and overawed national newspapers. In the result, the national newspapers had no choice but speak for the government with considerable supports. Although Korea retrieved democracy now, this construction in the press is congealed. Disparity development of economic had also helped the situation. 

23,000 jobs in Deagu Metropolitan City were disappeared since the Asian Economic Crisis in 1997. On the contrary, employment of the capital region has increased. While the capital region occupied 11.7 percent of space in whole country, the increase leaded 80 percent of the national employment growth rate. Namely, it inferred the convergence of the capital region is serious. Therefore, many advertisers usually put advertisements in the national newspapers. The local newspapers can not access to the headquarters of huge companies in Seoul . Won yong-su, the representative of The Prometheus (a newspaper company) appointed economic problems in this structure. “Some local newspapers had a tendency to condemn something in consequence time for obtaining remuneration in connivance. It is a financial problem in the local newspaper that caused the tendency.” Moreover, he said “there is Wa-bu (http://www.wa-bu.net) and Su-sa-mo (a group which consisted of people who love ‘Su-dong’). Because this website was communication place for inhabitations in region, there was an attempt to make websites to the newspaper. But, the plan was disappeared by lack of people who lived closely in the region in my circumference” he emphasized important of mutual understanding between inhabitations and a local society because it can produce detail information on the region. Moreover, he said newspapers enhance level of human intellectual.

Although this merit of the region newspaper exist, location of the region press was regarded insignificant. We confronted some problems. 

Dearth of approach in news

Since the national newspapers nearly hold all the ace cards in Korea, consumers are not given newspapers which reflect their diverse tastes and necessities. Unless a large accident happened in a certain region, residents did not know news about their region through the press. It was common that the national newspapers had not concerns about local communities due to shortage of space. It is possible that they report problems of local communities not through the sight of each region but through sight of Seoul. So various opportunity met with diverse view point on problems is cleared away by the oligopoly. In fact, similar phenomenon happens to subscribers in Seoul. Newspapers do not fulfill diverse tastes of 10million people.

Absence of supervision power

Only a few major newspapers take huge share in the market and there is no comparable power against them. If a certain power, enterprises or a government, want to spread their opinion, they would keep close relationship with the major newspapers. In this way, the powers’ propagation would cover whole Korea by the major newspapers with its considerable influence. Besides, absence in supervision power aggravates this situation.

Concentration toward the capital region is deepened

The local newspapers can reflect ideas of inhabitants in the region and restrain spreading distorted information from major newspapers. However, through the current system, it is impossible to collect the public opinion in the local communities. So, development of region was not actually accomplished. Therefore, concentration toward the capital is deepened - inside and outside

『Some people said “the local newspaper did not make a credit from residents. So they did not obtain selection” But in Busan and Deagu, local newspapers hold the most subscription rate. They clear away the three major newspapers. This is the interview with the Meail Shinmun which holds the most subscription in Deagu.

<Interview with the Meail shinmun>

A: The Maeil newspaper celebrated 61st anniversary from the first issue. We thank residents of Daegu about their affections and supports. So we made newspapers with aptitude to concern about the region and subscribers. And we also keep the spirits of the Maeil although the condition under the war and violence of power exist.

Q: Is there a special effort to make creative ideas which is different with other newspapers?

A: The Maeil newspaper’s slogan, “the Daegu and Gyeongsangbukdo is the Maeil newspaper”, was made with 61st anniversary. We put our thinking kept for 60years into the slogan. We exerted for this slogan so it is not a slogan without practice so far, and we will keep on the exertion

. We endeavor delivering the prevailing view of region and speaking for profit of regions inhabitants in basing support of region inhabitants and old tradition. We thought the Maeil newspaper was loved by inhabitation of region recognized this special effort.

Q: what do you think about relation between local community and the local newspaper?

A: The local community exists as a foundation and a distribution object to the Mea-ill newspaper. Therefore, the local newspaper structurally could not help to prefer profit of the region and listen to the prevailing view in the region. As a private enterprise chased profits, it is impossible that neglecting a ground of existence. This is the beginning of problem for being not identify with flowing of nation in special situation and privately situation. Disregarding the local newspaper or preferring the opinion of region was not appropriate selection. So we looked after taking balance. But if the region was encroached by injustice reason and the profit of the region inhabitation was invaded, we would urge thinking of the region with gloves off and carrying our point. The Maeil newspaper had kept this aptitude so far. And we will more exert from now on.』   

In addition, Jung hyun joo (26), a citizen lived in Deagu said “the citizenry in Deagu more inclined to love their region than other regions. So I thought the Mea-il newspaper was more loved for putting the region information in newspaper as if the Deagu bank is more used than other banks.”

 Standing on the upper part, we know what required the local newspaper. Therefore, what we know the next? It is solutions.

Solutions

The newspaper credited from subscribers

 For success, the newspaper required ability to contribute to social of local as the public interest enterprise. So they could obtain a credit of resident. This acknowledgment could bring about investments on the local newspapers and so on. It was required for taking credits that giving information required, issues in the local community, one’s position about region one lived, opportunity to exchanging one’s opinion each other and practicing a role to searched an alternative plan.

Advertisement and the local newspaper

The local newspapers experienced a failure for depended on advertiser in the whole country as if the national newspapers do. They disregarded effort to develop from advertiser in local to their advertisers. This is main reason that their management is not easy. So as advertisers, having special elementary knowledge is required. persuad paltry advertisers to understand benefit of newspapers advertisement. For example, a newspaper gives an article about seedtime in the spring. If farm related industry companies put advertisements in the newspaper, it would create effective results. Moreover, it provides more useful information to subscribers and good opportunity to put advertisements to the enterprises in regions. In the other words, creating economic circulation from making profit in enterprises and being presented commodity took good quality through the newspapers. This contributed to development in local economic.  

Articles of selective version

In the past, method to deliver information was only TV and newspapers. Therefore, information conveyed was regarded very significant. Subscribers astutely read this information disregarding quality in information. But advance of the information-oriented society changed everything. The number of information is sharply increased. Therefore, flood of information is a problem and it makes people to confuse. This brings selection in information. Unless the local newspapers contribute information which is demanded and fixed into subscribers’ tastes, they would not win the competition with the national newspaper and internet.    

The press in France had the structure of centralized authority. However, it is not same with that in Korea; the number of copies in France had increased and support of government is more positive than Korea . In reference, supports of government accounted for 10 percent of sales rate in France printing medium. Tony Blair, the prime minister in Britain, said “the local newspaper obtained the best credit in Britain media.” He also added “the local papers are more closed to subscribers and have more responsibility to local community than other medias” in 1999. What required for our glasses in the global tendency?