Maekyung Media Group

What Maekyung Media Group does

Maekyung Media Group is a private South Korean media conglomerate founded in 1966 and headquartered in Seoul. The group's flagship asset is Maeil Business Newspaper (매일경제), one of South Korea's principal economic dailies, serving business professionals, investors, and policy readers with Korean-language coverage of financial, corporate, and market news. The group operates a multi-channel portfolio spanning print, broadcasting, digital publishing, and lifestyle media, including MBN (a Korean broadcasting network), a weekly business magazine (매경이코노미), and lifestyle brands such as Luxmen, Citylife, M-print, and rayM.

Beyond the flagship newspaper, the group has extended into adjacent content verticals and formats. Pulse, an English-language mobile news application, targets international readers and Korean-diaspora audiences with translations of business coverage. The portfolio is therefore vertically diversified across economy, finance, lifestyle, and broadcasting, and horizontally diversified across print, broadcast, web, and mobile app distribution.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed and are inferred to follow a traditional Korean media mix: print and digital advertising, broadcast advertising on MBN, subscription and newsstand sales, and event and conference sponsorship. Recent public-facing activity includes the co-hosted K-Wall Street Platform in New York on 2025-10-15, the GS Caltex Pro Tournament with the Korea Baduk Association in 2026, and ongoing partnerships with The Korea Society and the Korea Finance Society, indicating a strategy anchored on financial-content authority combined with cultural and international engagement.

Name

Maekyung Media Group

Legal name

Maeil Business News Korea

Website

https://pulsenews.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Maekyung Media Group is a private Seoul-based Korean media conglomerate founded in 1966, anchored by the flagship Maeil Business Newspaper. It operates MBN broadcasting, lifestyle brands, and the Pulse English-language mobile app serving business readers and Korean-diaspora audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD), Business & Financial News Channels (MPABAIAB), News Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAF)

Keywords

• Business news publishing
• Financial journalism
• Media broadcasting
• Digital news platform
• Korean economic coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maekyung Media Group is a diversified South Korean media company that publishes business and financial news across multiple channels, including the flagship Korean-language Maeil Business Newspaper, the English-language Pulse digital news service and mobile application, financial news brand Mmoney, and broadcasting subsidiary MBN. Its core output is original journalism covering the Korean economy, financial markets, business, politics, and K-culture, delivered through print, web, mobile, and television.

Product overview

Maekyung Media Group operates a media portfolio centered on its flagship Maeil Business Newspaper (매일경제), offering both Korean-language and English-language news services. The company's primary digital product is Pulse, an English news application available via mobile app and web, providing coverage of Korean economy, business, finances, and markets. The group also operates related media brands including MBN (broadcasting), Mmoney (financial news), and 매경이코노미 (economy-focused content), and organizes industry events such as the GS Caltex Pro Tournament in partnership with the Korea Baduk Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pulse: English news service by Maeil Business News providing business news on Korean economy, finance, and markets

Products and services

• Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea (English news service) English-language digital news service by Maeil Business News Korea providing real-time headlines, breaking news, financial market updates, market analysis, investment tips, and features on Korean economy, business, finances, politics, and K-Wave topics. Distributed via the Pulse website and the Maeil Business Pulse mobile application.
• Maeil Business Pulse Mobile Application Mobile application version of Pulse providing around-the-clock English news on Korean economy, business, finances, and market-moving topics. Available globally on Google Play and Apple App Store.
• Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean-language) Korea's flagship daily economic newspaper covering business, finance, markets, and the Korean economy for Korean-language readers.
• MBN (Munhwa Broadcasting Network) Television broadcasting subsidiary of Maekyung Media Group producing media content distributed via broadcast.
• Mmoney (Financial News) Specialized financial news brand within the Maekyung Media Group portfolio providing financial and money-related journalism.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Korea Baduk AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Maekyung Media Group co-hosted the 31st GS Caltex Pro Tournament with the Korea Baduk Association, featuring a best-of-5 Go final series between Shin Min-jun and Park Jeong-hwan at the Korea Baduk Association studio in Seoul.
• GS CaltexminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026GS Caltex sponsored the 31st GS Caltex Pro Tournament co-hosted by Maekyung Media Group, with 70 million won prize money awarded to the winner Shin Min-jun.
• The Korea SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Co-hosting the 2025 K-Wall St. Platform in New York, an invitation-only event providing mentorship opportunities for young Korean financiers interested in Wall Street careers. The event coincided with the 2025 Global Financial Leaders Forum.
• Korea Finance SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Co-hosting the 2025 K-Wall St. Platform in New York alongside The Korea Society, targeting high-quality screened applicants interested in Wall Street careers and providing mentorship opportunities for young Korean financiers.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Nikkei Asia: English-language Asian business news outlet backed by Nikkei Inc., one of Japan's largest financial news groups. Comparable to Pulse as an English-language regional business news platform covering Asian markets, including Korea.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg Media: Global business and financial news giant with extensive Korean market coverage across web, app, and TV. Broad incumbent competitor to Pulse for English-language Korean business news audiences and advertising.
• Reuters: Global news wire and digital publisher with deep Korean bureau and significant business/finance coverage. Broad incumbent competing with Pulse for international readers and corporate subscribers seeking Korean market intelligence.
• CNBC International: Global business news network with extensive Asia coverage including Korea, distributed via TV, web, and mobile app. Broad incumbent comparable to MBN plus Pulse combined, competing for the same English-language Korean business news audience.

Direct peers

• Korea Times: Historic English-language Korean daily newspaper with digital distribution, serving international and Korean-diaspora readers. Comparable to Pulse in offering English-language news on Korean affairs to a global audience.
• Dong-A Ilbo: One of Korea's three major legacy newspapers, with print, digital, magazine, and broadcast-adjacent operations. Comparable as a heritage Korean newspaper brand competing for the same readers, advertisers, and digital subscription pool.
• The Chosun Ilbo: Korea's largest newspaper by circulation, operating across print, digital, and TV (TV Chosun). Directly comparable as a Korean-language diversified media conglomerate with both a flagship newspaper and a broadcasting arm, competing for advertisers, readers, and digital subscribers in the same domestic market.
• The Korea Herald: One of Korea's two major English-language daily newspapers, covering Korean politics, economy, and culture for international audiences. Direct peer to Pulse as an English-language Korean news platform targeting global readers.
• JoongAng Ilbo / JTBC: Major Korean media group combining a flagship newspaper (JoongAng Ilbo) with a broadcast network (JTBC) and digital verticals. Comparable as a Korean newspaper-plus-broadcast conglomerate pursuing the same cross-platform content and advertising strategy as Maekyung/MBN.
• Korea Economic Daily (Hankyung): Korea's other leading economic/business newspaper, covering Korean markets, companies, and policy. Direct peer to Maeil Business Newspaper in the Korean business-news category, competing for the same professional and investor readership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pulsenewskorea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/pulse-news-043201134
• Instagraminstagram.com/pulse_news_korea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Maekyung Media Group