Seoul Economic Daily was founded on August 1, 1960, as South Korea’s first economic newspaper.
For the past 63 years, it has grown in tandem with the nation’s economic development.
Following the announcement of the Five-Year Economic Development Plan in 1961,
the newspaper served as a communication bridge between the business community and the public,
expanding its coverage to include securities, real estate, and more,
thus spreading economic journalism throughout the country.
The dynamic history of South Korea ,its challenges and successes, crises and opportunities,
is faithfully reflected in the pages of Seoul Economic Daily.
The newspaper's founding publisher was the late Jang Ki-young, known by Baeksang,
who also served as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
At a time when the Koreans had lost hope and were adrift, Baeksang offered a vision of growth and prosperity,
instilling hope for the future through the theme of economic development.
Seoul Economic Daily became the first economic newspaper to publish a U.S. edition in New York,
and by 1980, it had reached a circulation of 100,000 copies, claiming over 70% of the market share
to become the top economic newspaper in the country.
However, on November 25, 1980, the paper was forcibly shut down
as part of the media consolidation policy enacted by the new military regime.
Amid the wave of democratization in 1987, newspapers that had been closed began to be revived,
and after a long wait, Seoul Economic Daily was also relaunched on August 1, 1988.
At that time, it was part of a comprehensive media group that included the general daily Hankook Ilbo,
the Korea Times (an English-language newspaper), The Korea Daily (published in the U.S.),
the sports daily Ilgan Sports, the weekly Weekly Hankook,
and the Korean edition of the internationally renowned popular science magazine Popular Science.
Since then, Seoul Economic Daily has continued to evolve, launching its own economic cable channel,
Seoul Economic TV, and establishing a Digital Media Center.
In 2022, it became the only daily newspaper in South Korea to digitize every single issue
from its inaugural edition to the most recent one.
Although there was a gap in publication due to the forced closure at the end of the 20th century,
Seoul Economic Daily has firmly reestablished its stature as a trusted economic newspaper.
It continues to open a vibrant 21st century by expanding networks
with global leading media outlets, driven by a spirit of challenge and innovation.