Start-ups in Korea have mostly been concentrated in the IT industry.
But recently, a bunch of noteworthy media entities have been popping up, catering to
the ever-evolving needs of a diverse global audience eager to learn more about Korea.
These new media players are also upping the ante for quality journalism.
Kim Jung-soo reports.
It's said that the media industry in Korea is nearing saturation -- that in terms of
content and reach, it's got all its bases covered.
But the country's media startups would beg to disagree.
They think there's a lot more room for growth and experimentation.
One such start-up is Korea Expose, an online-based 'English news and culture magazine on South
Korea with an insider's perspective.'
Slightly before the site was formally launched in August 2014, its chief founder, Koo Se-woong,
submitted a piece called 'An Assault on Our Children' to the New York Times.
In it, he talks about the country's hierarchical education system, and how it makes students
sacrifice happiness for success.
The piece went viral, and was later translated into Korean by Yonhap News, giving him much-needed
confidence about his new project.
Hopefully when people outside Korea see the problem,... and then they criticize it, maybe
it will bring some reform in Korea.
It was an interesting insight for me to hear.
The idea that everybody knows the problem is there,...but they don't necessarily talk
about it."
They say good students, and people in general, are products of a good environment,...and
Korea Expose is one of a handful of companies being incubated by the country's sole media
start-up accelerator, Mediati.
On the same floor with Korea Expose is G-pictures, a two-man company founded by a 21 year old.
G-pictures produces video-content targeting the country's young demographic, mostly students.
It's most popular video dealt with menstruation in schools.
"Yes, our students practice so-called democracy in our schools through mock elections, but
really, such institutional practices don't mean much in our schools if there isn't an
open room for discussion."
Mediati's founder says he is intent on fostering media companies that address previously unrecognized
needs.
"Korea's traditional media has a lot to be proud of.
But I also see how improvements can be made, both in terms of content and accessibility,
especially in the current media environment."
Unlike Korea's often problematic educational system,... the relationship between start-ups
and Mediati is not an ordinary student-teacher relationship.
Koo says it is marked by mutual respect.
Mediati is a minority shareholder in the magazine,... and rarely interferes with decisions regarding
content.
"Ultimately, we believe in media freedom.
I think everybody needs to be able to say what he or she wants, in a free and honest
way.
But if you get money from particular sources, and you become dependent on it, then you are
not going to be true to yourself.
You have to abide by somebody else's agenda.
That's what we are learning here in Mediati.
We are being trained to be independent, financially, not just editorially."
"I think a good example is the presential election.
We went in-depth focusing on different aspects of the story.
We had a one-on-one interview with sim sang-jung, who is a minor political candidate.
From the perspective of the foreign media,..because she is from a minor party, she doesn't merit
the kind of coverage that korea expose was able to do."
Ultimately, Koo hopes he can make Korean society realize that it shouldn't be marginalizing
its problems, but rather, embracing them, a sentiment shared by other media start-ups
as well
This is not a country,... that's very good at talking openly about the problems it has.
This is not just about Korea.
There are lots of problems everywhere,... because this is human nature,... human society
is flawed but in Korea, criticism is not encouraged,... so things get swept under the rug."
"When I see Korean newspapers these days,... they are often a flurry of specific details,
without offering much context.
They already assume readers will think the news is important.
But with our videos, we try to link the personal with public."
They say that learning takes a life-time.
The common adage in the media is to always be careful of making generalizations,... but
it appears a growing question is not just to find a balance, but also make deeper connections,
between the local and the global.
Kim Jung-soo, Arirang News.