Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Korea Daily has signed a content licensing agreement with the Los Angeles Times, the first Korean-American newspaper to do so. The signing ceremony was held at the LA Times headquarters in El Segundo on December 26, 2023.
Under the agreement, the Korea Daily will dedicate one page weekly to exclusively feature stories from the LA Times in a Korean-language edition, starting this month. Additionally, the Korea Daily is licensed to utilize the LA Times’ photos, videos, and graphics.
This agreement will allow the Korea Daily readers to access LA Times articles in their original form, translated into Korean, rather than in excerpts or quotes. The Korea Daily will devote more space in the newspaper to LA Times articles on issues of high interest to Korean Americans, including immigration, education, economics, and healthcare.
The agreement allows both newspapers to expand the reach of their readerships.
“The stories of minority communities, including the Korean-American community, are integral to our narrative, and we would have no place to stand if we didn’t listen and speak for them,” said Kevin Merida, Executive Editor of the LA Times. “The tremendous growth of the Korean American community is an important story for the LA Times. We look forward to communicating and interacting more to gather strength in building a better community.”
“This partnership is of great significance as we will be able to provide a wider range of news and diverse perspectives to our readers,” said Yoonho Nahm, CEO of the Korea Daily. “We believe it will be the foundation of our next leap forward for the Korea Daily as we prepare for another 50 years.”
The agreement marks the beginning of a full-fledged relationship between the two newspapers. “We are exploring the possibility of featuring Korea Daily articles that resonate with the Korean community in our publication,” said Ann B. Do, Community Engagement Editor of the LA Times. “There are great possibilities for future expansion, including reporters exchanges, joint coverage, and business cooperation.” The agreement is expected to provide a new channel for Korean-American voices to be delivered to mainstream society in the long run.
The LA Times has also forged similar agreements with two other prominent Asian media outlets. The Taiwanese World Journal and the Vietnamese Nguoi Viet Daily News have been selected as media partners in their respective communities. The Korea Daily is the only Korean-American newspaper in the U.S. to sign a licensing agreement with the Los Angeles Times, a newspaper company that marks its 143rd year of publication this year.
BY KOOHYUN CHUNG, HOONSIK WOO [chung.koohyun@koreadaily.com]
