The Korea Times
South Korean English-language daily (mainstream, center-left to centrist)
Background
The Korea Times was founded on November 1, 1950, during the Korean War, to give foreign troops serving as UN forces prompt news and to help foreign readers understand Korea. From the late 1950s it was published by the Hankook Ilbo Media Group. An embezzlement scandal in 2013–2014 led to the group's sale, and Dongwha Group, which also acquired Hankook Ilbo, became the owner. The paper is mainly read by expatriates, diplomats, and Koreans who want English-language news. It is generally seen as a mainstream, establishment-leaning paper rather than a strongly partisan one, and it has tended toward the center or center-left on South Korean politics. In 2026 its editorials and opinion pieces have criticized President Trump's approach to the Korea alliance. One editorial said he appeared willing to subordinate the alliance to short-term political calculations, citing his order to scale back joint drills and his linking of alliance expectations to Seoul's refusal to back the U.S. campaign against Iran. A cover story it ran reported that favorable views of the U.S. among Koreans had fallen to 45 percent from 61 percent, and that 85 percent of respondents disapproved of the administration's tariff policies. Its news desk still covers Trump's statements and Korea-U.S. investment matters in a fairly straightforward way. Its criticism is focused on how U.S. policy affects South Korea rather than on U.S. domestic politics.
Sources
- The Korea Times (Wikipedia)
- The Korea Times history
- Hankook Ilbo (Wikipedia)
- [OPINION] Trump's Korea gamble: Putting politics ahead of vital alliance
- [COVER STORY] Trump's America is losing Koreans
- Trump signals uncertainty about meeting N. Korean leader in China next month
Profile compiled 2026-10-22; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.