Chosun Ilbo publisher Bang Jun-oh, whose paper launched the paid Chosun Membership in October and attracted more than 10,000 paid subscribers within three months, met with Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour to discuss subscription strategy.
Three years earlier, JoongAng Ilbo moved to a paid model. Last year, to mark its 60th anniversary, JoongAng hosted a conference that included representatives from international outlets with pay models, such as The New York Times and Nikkei.
Chosun’s internal newsletter dated the 10th reported that Bang met with Latour on the 2nd for an hour and a half. Publisher Hong Jun-ho, Editor-in-Chief Kang Kyung-hee, and Park Jong-se, head of business planning, attended the meeting.
The Wall Street Journal has about 6.3 million online subscribers but a print circulation of roughly 500,000. A monthly print subscription runs about 150,000 KRW (≈$112.50), and a full-page ad on the paper’s back page can cost around 120,000,000 KRW (≈$90,000). Chosun quoted Latour as saying that more than 80% of WSJ’s total revenue comes from recurring subscription fees; advertising makes up just 14%. He added that most ad revenue is not from general ads placed through platforms like Google, but from high-priced, tailored digital advertising sold to individual companies.
“The model of giving away news for free to chase ad revenue is no longer viable,” Latour told them. “Korean news organizations need to reclaim the value of quality journalism and build sustainable models on that basis. Outlets that don’t offer unique, deep, specialized reporting will be left behind.”
Latour noted that in recent years some 3,000 newspapers have closed in the U.S. — about two each week. “Encyclopedic journalism is dying,” he said. “You have to produce distinctive content to survive.” He contrasted the two U.S. papers’ strategies: while The New York Times has evolved into a lifestyle brand with games, cooking and other mass-market offerings, the Wall Street Journal remains focused on professional readers.
JoongAng hits 100,000 cumulative subscribers in two years… Chosun gains 12,000 in three months
Among daily papers, JoongAng Ilbo was the first to introduce paid access. By late 2022 JoongAng had 800,000 logged-in users and launched The JoongAng Plus at about 15,000 KRW per month (≈$11.25). The paper says it reached 100,000 cumulative paid subscribers by early 2025, two years after the launch. In January 2024, JoongAng stated its goal to secure 100,000 pure paid subscribers plus additional users.
Chosun began building a logged-in audience in 2021 ahead of JoongAng but delayed rolling out paid subscriptions. In October, Chosun launched its Chosun Membership paid plan at 5,900 KRW per month (≈$4.43). In January the paper reported it had signed up 12,000 paid subscribers within three months of the launch.
A Chosun Ilbo official told Media Today on the 21st that membership has grown significantly since then but declined to provide exact figures.
[Related: Chosun Ilbo launches 'Chosun Membership C' paid service at 5,900 KRW/month (≈$4.43)]
[Related: WSJ staff asked for card numbers and reasons for cancellation]
[Related: Chosun renews paywall push… reporters worry about an 'article points' system]
[Related: Three years into JoongAng’s paywall: 2.2 million monthly active visitors… what are its tentpole offerings?]
[Related: Can JoongAng reach '100,000+α' paid subscribers?]
