I’m currently managing director of Content and Business Planning at The Korea Times. Before I took the current position in early 2024, I served as managing editor in charge of both paper and online for over three and a half years. In 2015-2018, I worked as Singapore correspondent covering ASEAN nations.
ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL Redefining identity, service for next 70 years
A plane soars against the backdrop of the moon on a deepening autumn night, bound for its destination in this Oct. 1 photo in Korea. Just like the plane, The Korea Times vows to soar into a new age of news and content. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Kim Jae-kyoung
By Kim Jae-kyoung, Kim Ji-soo
A paper borne in the tragedy and ashes of the 1950-1953 Korean War in essence is a shout-out of desperation to the world hoping people will listen and focus their attention on affairs taking place on the Korean Peninsula. That was the beginning of The Korea Times, which also served as a medium, a conduit for Koreans to assert their national identity after decades of subjugation and oppression, as well as reporting the news.
The Korea Times feels grateful in that we can celebrate the 70th anniversary of our newspaper. Standing and living in one of the greatest periods of uncertainty in humanity's recent times and the changes they portend to bring us, it is with the same sense of desperateness that we reach out to readers on this anniversary.
The media industry is now at a critical juncture, with rapid technology progress and the COVID-19 pandemic ushering in an era of disruption. This unprecedented challenge is reshaping the world, forcing newspapers to reinvent themselves for their very survival through interactive correspondence and rapport with their readers.
With such a challenge disrupting many aspects of our lives ― the way we work, the way we consume news, the way we shop and the way we socialize ― we need to redouble our efforts to meet our customers' needs in more efficient and convenient ways.
This transformation is expected to bring much bigger changes for us in the coming decade than what we have seen over the last 70 years because the digital revolution will break all trends by blurring the lines between industries, and redefine our identity and services.
Nevertheless, our mission remains essentially the same: like the moon that steadily gleams even behind the clouds, The Korea Times will strive to shine a light on the uncertainties and the anxiety-producing changes. Like the instruments of an airplane that enable it to soar through the skies, so too, we commit to serving news that illuminates and acts as a guide for our readers.
To complete that mission, we will place a priority on developing The Korea Times into the leading English-language digital news service and content creator in the country. We will also seek to better serve our global audience by expanding partnerships with overseas media.
No one knows how world events will unfold over the next 70 years. However, the unknown, the mysterious future will not necessarily be full only of fearful transformations or changes. The impending challenge is a clear threat to us but depending on how we cope with the situation, it can provide the kind of significant disruption that creates opportunity for those that recognize it. We cautiously hope that we will continue to provide services for our readers as we become more agile in this world of uncharted territory.
Kim Jae-kyoung is managing editor of The Korea Times. Kim Ji-soo is print section editor.