Korea Times celebrates 70th anniversary with much fanfare

Leaders from political, business and diplomatic circles attend The Korea Times' 70th anniversary ceremony at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Lee Min-hyung

The Korea Times celebrated its 70th anniversary Thursday, with a group of big names from the political and business sectors speaking highly of the English language newspaper, praising it for its long-standing role as a bridge connecting the world with news about Korea.

They praised the Times' decades-long dedication to enhancing national pride since its foundation in 1950, and pledged unwavering support for the newspaper to help improve Korea's global standing.

Hundreds of top-ranking officials from all walks of life took part in the anniversary ceremony held at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul.

The official event started with a commemorative speech delivered by The Korea Times Chairman Seung Myung-ho, which was followed by a speech from National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug.

Officials from the nation's business and finance circles particularly expressed the hope that the Times would play a proactive role in helping Korea tackle post-coronavirus uncertainties.

They were upbeat over the ceremony during a pre-event VIP reception. Packed with tens of industrial bigwigs, the 30-minute-long reception ended with much fanfare.

"The Korea Times has vividly provided every trace of Korea's history to global readers for the past seven decades as the nation's representative English language newspaper," Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung said. "We expect the Times to keep up the good work and produce quality information for readers here and abroad."

The leader of the nation's top-tier financial holding firm also conveyed a message of celebration for the 70th anniversary of the newspaper, sharing hopes for the company to gain increased recognition globally.

Hana Bank CEO Ji Sung-kyoo, who also attended the event, expressed his expectations for the newspaper.

"It was meaningful for me to hear the voices from leaders from every corner of society," he said. "We expect the newspaper to continue playing a role as a bridge sharing local news with the world."

Industrial Bank of Korea CEO Yoon Jong-won said he expects The Korea Times to continue to build a foundation for the prolonged growth of Korean society.

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"We hope the Times continues for more than one hundred years and keeps paving the way for the development of Korean society," Yoon said.

Standard Chartered Bank Korea CEO Park Jong-bok shared his wish for the Times to keep playing its role as an international media outlet.

"I sincerely hope The Korea Times develops itself into a globally trustworthy newspaper connecting Korea and the world," Park said.

Export-Import Bank of Korea CEO Bang Moon-kyu also conveyed his anticipation for the Times to keep performing a pivotal role as a major news channel between Korea and the world.

Top officials from Korea's tech and ICT companies also celebrated the anniversary.

"The Korea Times has dedicated itself to the improvement of Korea's global status with a strong sense of responsibility over the past seven decades," a senior executive at SK Telecom said.

Lee Ki-kwang, senior vice president of corporate communications at Korean Air, also congratulated the The Korea Times on its 70th anniversary.

"The Korea Times has offered people around the world a window into the news of Korea for the past 70 years, helping the country grow in stature," he said. "I hope The Korea Times, now heading for its 100th anniversary, will become a newspaper that continues to be appreciated by people around the globe."

Cho Young-seok, senior vice president at Asiana Airlines, also described the Times as playing a diplomatic role and serving as a "compass" to help navigate Korea's future course.

"The Korea Times has played the role of a bridge between Korea and other countries around the world since its foundation in 1950," he said.

"The Korea Times has sometimes become a diplomat that updated the outside world on the news of Korea, and sometimes played a role as a compass that showed the country the right direction. I expect The Korea Times to take the lead in making changes that will help Korea overcome the social and economic crisis caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic."

Chung Chang-hwa, senior executive vice president at POSCO, also underlined the Times' role in raising the profile of Korean industrial players across the world.

The event also featured a magic show and a pansori performance. Pansori is a traditional Korean narrative musical genre. The musical performance attracted the attention of overseas guests including U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris and Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming.

Officials from the culture and art sectors also delivered messages of congratulations for the Times' 70th anniversary.

"I sincerely hope the paper continues to earn the loyalty of a broader readership through insightful reports that draw on experience and wisdom accumulated over the past 70 years," Park Jung-youl, director of the Korean Culture and Information Service, said.

Chung Jae-suk, administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration, said, "Seventy years ago, The Korea Times was first published amid the cataclysm of the Korean War and served as the world's window to Korea. The spirit of The Korea Times seeks change, but remains constant."