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Dong-A Ilbo celebrates 30,000th issue

Posted January. 27, 2018 07:21,   

Updated January. 27, 2018 08:07

한국어

An event commemorating the 30,000th issue of The Dong-A Ilbo was held on Friday at the Ilmin Museum of Art in central Seoul.

“The publication of the 30,000th issue is the result of our unceasing efforts for 97 years and nine months, and it is much more valuable as The Dong-A Ilbo is the only newspaper in the country, which preserved all newspapers from the first issue of April 1, 1920 to today since its founding,” said Kim Jae-ho, president of Dong-A Ilbo and CEO of Channel A, in his commemoration speech.

The Dong-A Ilbo has overcome many difficulties to come a long way. Under Japanese occupation, its publication was suspended for an indefinite period four times. The newspaper was banned for sale 63 times and confiscated as many as 489 times before it was forced to stop publishing in August 1940. After independence in 1945, reporters stood up against the authoritarian government, but the regime oppressed the newspaper by making advertisers cancel or pull the ads.

“The Dong-A Ilbo has been undaunted by any suppression and played the role of upholding democracy and prospering culture throughout its history,” said Kim. “With the foundation spirit of Inchon Kim Seong-su, the founder of The Dong-A Ilbo, let us bear in mind that we have social responsibility to make our country a better place, and prepare for the future of bold changes and innovation.”

“I was deeply impressed by the reporters watching the movie “1987” and proud to be working with The Dong-A Ilbo,” said Lee Jin-ho, managing director of Jeonju Paper, who has been supplying newsprint paper to The Dong-A Ilbo for 25 years, making a valedictory speech. “I am confident that newsprint paper is not merely a paper, but a bowl that contains The Dong-A Ilbo’s enthusiasm and soul pursuing nationalism, democracy, and culturalism.”

Some 250 people including employees of the Dong-A Media Group, readers and corporate officials attended the event.



Won-Mo Yu onemore@donga.com