Gyeongsang Ilbo

Gyeongsang Ilbo (경상일보, 慶尙日報) is a regional daily newspaper published in Ulsan Metropolitan City, South Korea. It was founded on 15 May 1989 as the first daily newspaper in the Ulsan area, giving it a pioneering role in the region's media landscape. In January 1997 the paper switched to a morning edition (조간) format, a change that repositioned it within the daily news cycle. Its headquarters are located at 17 Bukbusunhwan-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan (Mugeo-dong). The newspaper serves Ulsan and the surrounding industrial southeast of Korea, a region dominated by heavy industry including shipbuilding, automotive manufacturing, and petrochemicals. Its editorial coverage reflects this local character, with reporting on Ulsan Port, the region's industrial complexes, municipal governance, education, and community affairs. The homepage carries sections such as '기업/무역' (Business/Trade) alongside general news, sports, and local politics, illustrating its focus on the economic life of the Ulsan industrial belt. Gyeongsang Ilbo is a participant in the Korea Audit Bureau of Certification (한국 ABC협회) circulation certification system, which independently verifies newspaper circulation figures. The paper remains an active regional daily, publishing both in print and online through its website, ksilbo.co.kr. As a local newspaper, it competes with national dailies and other regional outlets for readership in Ulsan, and it functions as a key source of local news for residents and businesses in the area.

Gyeongsang Ilbo was established on 15 May 1989 as the first daily newspaper in the Ulsan region, filling a gap in local news coverage for what was then a rapidly industrializing city. Ulsan had grown into a major center of South Korea's heavy industry, home to shipyards, automobile plants, and petrochemical complexes, and the founding of a local daily gave the region its own editorial voice. In January 1997, the newspaper changed its publication schedule to a morning edition (조간), a significant operational shift that aligned it with the dominant morning-reading habit in Korean newspaper consumption. The paper is headquartered at 17 Bukbusunhwan-ro in Nam-gu, Ulsan (Mugeo-dong), where it continues to operate. Over the decades, Gyeongsang Ilbo has maintained its identity as a regional daily, covering Ulsan's municipal politics, education, labor, industry, and community life. Its reporting has followed major local issues such as the operations and governance of Ulsan Port, the restructuring of port authorities, industrial safety, and environmental concerns in the Ulsan industrial belt. The paper participates in the Korea Audit Bureau of Certification (한국 ABC협회) circulation certification system, reflecting its commitment to transparent circulation figures. Today, Gyeongsang Ilbo publishes both a print edition and a digital news service through its website, ksilbo.co.kr, adapting to the broader shift of newspaper readership toward online platforms while retaining its role as a primary source of Ulsan-focused journalism.

• 1997

  Switched to a morning edition (조간) publication schedule in January.

• 1989

  Founded on 15 May as the first daily newspaper in the Ulsan region.

Ulsan's first and longest-running local daily newspaper, focused on regional news and the industrial economy of the Ulsan area.

• Gyeongsang Ilbo print edition

  Regional daily newspaper distributed in Ulsan.

• ksilbo.co.kr

  Online news portal carrying local, business, and general news.

1. 1경상일보 공식 홈페이지ksilbo.co.kr
2. 2경상일보 - 위키백과ko.wikipedia.org
3. 3ksilbo - Wikidatawikidata.org