Basics for studying Zainichi society 2: Newspapers in early postwar

Basics for studying Zainichi society 2: Newspapers in early postwar

Sayaka


Dec 19, 2022

2 min read


Basics for studying Zainichi society 2: Newspapers in early postwar

Updated: Feb 25



Right after August 15, 1945, Koreans living in Japan started publishing hundreds of periodicals. Read Kobayashi Sōmei's book for the rough sketch of the Korean media. This is a classic and informative read.









The most basic thing to know is the names of 解放新聞 and 朝鮮新報. The leftist newspapers had a genealogy as follows. I hear our interviewees talking about 解放新聞 and 朝鮮新報 a lot. Leftist cadres often read 解放新聞 out loud in Korean neighborhoods (or slums) in various places because many were illiterate. Chongryon gatherings (among members, cadres, and at workplaces) also had a regular activity of 朝鮮新報 reading and discussion. The newspaper, as an official newspaper of Chongryon, still continues today.





民衆新聞 1945.10.10~


ウリ新聞 1946. 8.15~ (民衆新聞 and 大衆新聞 merged; two issues only)


解放新聞 1946. 9.1~


朝鮮民報 1957.1.1~


朝鮮新報 1961.1~ (became daily 1961.9)




Non-leftist newspapers:


朝鮮国際新聞 1946.5~


国際タイムス 1946. (probably around) 6~1948.12


国際日日新聞




The genealogy of Mindan newspapers (not sure of the phases):


朝鮮新聞（「建青」系）


新朝鮮新聞


民団新聞


民主新聞


韓国新聞


民団新聞

I actually find 統一朝鮮新聞 fascinating but it requires a bit of contextualization. Wait for another post on zainichi groups of different orientations.





In Kansai:


朝鮮新報（merger of four smaller newspapers) 1946.6~; not related to the leftist 朝鮮新報 above. Some editors and writers were leftists, but the owner was a profit-seeking businessman. There were clashes between opposing camps in the company.


新世界新聞 originally published only in Japanese by the owner of 朝鮮新報; the Korean version started by renaming 朝鮮新報, 1948.7~circa. 1992.


新朝鮮新報 1949.5~ (opposing 新世界新聞 taking over 朝鮮新報) unclear when it stopped publishing.