The Korea Herald

What The Korea Herald does

The Korea Herald is South Korea's premier English-language daily newspaper, founded in 1953 and operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herald Corporation, a diversified South Korean media conglomerate. It serves international readers seeking English-language coverage of Korean politics, business, culture, sports, and entertainment, as well as the foreign diplomatic and expatriate community in Korea. Its product portfolio spans a digital news platform (koreaherald.com) covering seven sections (National, Business, Life&Culture, Sports, World, Opinion, K-pop), a print edition, email newsletters, an RSS feed, the Survive & Thrive podcast, and branded content series including KH Explains, Weekender, From the Scene, Herald Interview, Celeb Reads, and Side Quests. Distribution is global via web and mobile, supplemented by domestic print subscriptions.

The company's business model combines traditional news-media revenue streams — print subscriptions, digital advertising, and newsletter sponsorships — with a growing events business that co-hosts government-supported international forums such as Africa Day (since 2024), the Future AI Mobility Summit 2026, the Global Business Forum, and the Korea Children's Expo. Customer segments are primarily international readers (geography-based) with English-speaking residents of Korea as a secondary segment; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is governed by President/Publisher Choi Jin-young, with Senior Vice President Kim Hyung-kon heading the marketing division since 2026. Under Herald Corporation, The Korea Herald shares infrastructure and distribution with sister outlets including The Herald Business, The Investor, Herald Muse, Herald Eco, Herald Design, and Real Foods, providing cross-platform scale and cost-sharing advantages for a media operation with a reported 11-50 employees.

Name

The Korea Herald

Legal name

The Korea Herald by Herald Corporation

Website

https://koreaherald.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Korea Herald is South Korea's premier English-language daily newspaper, founded in 1953 and operated by Herald Corporation, serving international readers, diplomats, and expatriates with digital, print, podcast, and event-based news and cultural coverage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

English-language news media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)

Keywords

• English-language newspaper
• Korean news coverage
• Digital news platform
• News media publishing
• International affairs reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Korea Herald is an English-language newspaper and digital news platform delivering comprehensive coverage of South Korean politics, business, sports, culture, and international affairs to global English-speaking audiences. It distributes news through its website, mobile platforms, print edition, email newsletters, podcasts, and branded content series, while also co-hosting international forums and summits to facilitate cross-border diplomatic, economic, and cultural exchange.

Product overview

The Korea Herald operates as a comprehensive English-language news media platform offering both digital and print products. The core offering is its digital news platform covering seven main sections: National, Business, Life&Culture, Sports, World, Opinion, and K-pop. The company supplements its core news product with branded content series including KH Explains (explainer content), Weekender (lifestyle trends), From the Scene (first-hand reporting), Herald Interview (in-depth interviews), and Celeb Reads (celebrity book recommendations). Additional offerings include a Survive & Thrive podcast, email newsletters, print edition subscriptions, RSS feeds, and an English Cafe feature. The portfolio is a unified platform-plus-content-series architecture rather than a modular software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KH Explains: A series explaining major issues broken down to the basics.
• Herald Interview
• Weekender
• From the Scene
• Graphic News
• Celeb Reads
• Side Quests
• The Ultrarich

Products and services

• The Korea Herald Digital News Platform The Korea Herald's primary English-language digital news platform offering real-time news coverage across seven main sections: National, Business, Life&Culture, Sports, World, Opinion, and K-pop. It serves international readers, diplomats, expatriates, and English-speaking audiences seeking coverage of Korean affairs.
• Print Edition The physical newspaper subscription service offering the print version of The Korea Herald for readers who prefer traditional print media. Available through domestic subscription service.
• Survive & Thrive Podcast A podcast series offering lifestyle and practical content for readers, featuring interviews and discussions on various topics relevant to living in and understanding Korea.
• Newsletter Subscription Email-based news digest service delivering curated content and breaking news alerts directly to subscribers' inboxes on a regular basis.
• English Cafe English language learning resources and content section for non-native English speakers, offered as part of The Korea Herald's content platform.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korea Future Mobility Service AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Co-host of Future AI Mobility Summit 2026 (FAMS 2026) on June 30 in Seoul. The forum aims to facilitate cross-border cooperation between Korean companies and China's future mobility ecosystem.
• Korea University Intellectual Property AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Co-organizer of the Future AI Mobility Summit 2026 along with The Korea Herald and Korea Future Eco-friendly Mobility Service Association.
• Herald Economy/Korea HeraldminorOthers · 20 June 2026Co-host of 4th Korea Children's Expo at aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, along with Korea Children and Youth Culture Center.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Support partner for Africa Day 2026 gala at Grand Hyatt Seoul, attended by approximately 580 guests including diplomats from around 20 African nations.
• Korea-Africa FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-host of Africa Day events since 2024, fostering diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between Korea and African nations.
• African Group of Ambassadors in KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-host of Africa Day events along with Korea-Africa Foundation and The Korea Herald, featuring cultural programs promoting mutual understanding.
• Herald BusinessminorOthersSister publication within Herald Media Group, co-organizer of Global Business Forum.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Reuters (Korea bureau):
• BBC News (Asia/Korea coverage): Global public broadcaster with substantial free Korea and Asia coverage. While not a direct daily newspaper, BBC competes for the same international readership seeking authoritative Korean news in English and pressures The Korea Herald's premium subscription positioning.

Direct peers

• The Japan Times: Japan's largest English-language newspaper, with similar heritage, print+digital product structure, and international audience focus. Operates a comparable multi-format editorial and event business in a neighboring market.
• Korea JoongAng Daily: English-language edition of JoongAng Ilbo, one of Korea's major national dailies. Competes directly for English-speaking readers, business audiences, and international subscribers interested in Korean affairs.
• South China Morning Post: Leading English-language newspaper in Asia (Hong Kong), covering regional politics, business, and culture. Comparable English-language Asia-focused news authority with subscription, event, and content-series monetization models.
• The Straits Times: Singapore-based English-language flagship of SPH Media covering regional affairs. Comparable national English-language authority with subscription, podcast, newsletter, and event monetization serving international business audiences in Asia.
• Nikkei Asia: English-language Asia news service from Nikkei, focused on business, technology, and policy. Competes for premium international business readers and advertisers interested in Korean and Asian coverage.
• Korea Times: South Korea's other major English-language daily newspaper, founded in 1950. Direct competitor for the same niche of English-speaking readers, expatriates, and international audiences seeking Korean news in English.
• The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): English-language service of Korea's largest-circulation conservative daily. Targets overlapping international and expatriate audiences with general Korean news, business, and culture coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/thekoreaherald
• Xx.com/TheKoreaHerald
• Facebookfacebook.com/thekoreaherald
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-korea-herald

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Korea Herald