Koryo Ilbo
The Koryo Ilbo is a newspaper published in Korean and Russian from Almaty, Kazakhstan, for Koryo-saram: ethnic Koreans of the former Soviet Union. First published in 1923 as the March 1 Newspaper, it changed its name to Sŏnbong, then to Lenin Kichi in 1938, and finally to Koryo Ilbo after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is notable for being one of the oldest Korean-language newspapers and the oldest active outside of the Korean peninsula, having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023. It was also for decades the only Korean-language newspaper with nationwide availability in the Soviet Union and a significant promoter of the literature of Koryo-saram, during a period when regional languages were suppressed by the government.
Front page showcasing 100th anniversary 31 March 2023 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Korean Association of Kazakhstan |
| Editor-in-chief | Konstantin Kim |
| Founded | 1 March 1923 |
| Political alignment |
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| Language | Korean Russian |
| Headquarters | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| Circulation | 2,000 copies |
| Website | koreilbo |
The newspaper is also a significant source for the study of the Korean diaspora, the Korean language, the Korean independence movement, the Korean War, and Korean literature.
It had a circulation of around 40,000 during its peak around the 1970s and 1980s, but due to falling numbers of ethnic Koreans able to speak Korean, now publishes around 2,000 copies and is largely supported by the Association of Koreans in Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Communication of Kazakhstan.