Yonhap News Agency

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Yonhap News Agency

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Yonhap has 520 journalists and photographers posted at the Seoul head office, regional offices and overseas bureaus, comprising the largest news-gathering network in Korea.

Under a 2003 law passed by the South Korean parliament, Yonhap has been charged with promoting the country's image and distributing information -- a task deemed critical to addressing the domination of information by major Western news media.

Yonhap dispatches news and information to international media organizations in foreign languages to help the international community access clear and accurate information on the Korean Peninsula. Yonhap's foreign-language news service is distributed in English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Spanish.

Launched in 1981 with the merger of several commercial news agencies, Yonhap keeps its customers abreast of the latest news and information by sending out fast, reliable reports.

In 1988, Yonhap became the first of the Korean press to establish an electronic system for writing and releasing news articles to its clients.

With state-of-the-art equipment and a superior workforce, Yonhap successfully undertook its role as the key news agency for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the 2000 Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Seoul, the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup and the 2005 summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.


Yonhap currently has 41 correspondents in Washington, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, Beijing and 25 other major cities around the world, and employs 15 local correspondents in 15 other cities to cover stories not only on Korean affairs, but also other international issues from the Korean perspective.
Other cities currently covered by Yonhap correspondents include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Shanghai, Shenyang, Vladivostok, London, Berlin, Geneva, Brussels, Mexico City, Cairo, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kong, San Paolo, Budapest, Dubai, Almaty, Santiago, Sydney and Amman.

The 15 cities where local stringers report for Yonhap are Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Osaka, London, The Hague, Jakarta, Taipei, Oakland, Toronto, Vancouver, Jerusalem, Roma, Teheran and Istanbul.

Yonhap maintains contracts for the exchange of news services with some 65 global news agencies, including such major news companies as the Associated Press, Reuters, United Press International, Agence France-Presse, China's Xinhua News Agency, Japan's Kyodo News Agency, Deutsche Presse Agentur of Germany and Itar-Tass of Russia.

Yonhap also provides North Korean news under a contract to exchange news services with the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) of North Korea, signed in December 2002.


Yonhap is a channel for foreign readers to get real-time information and news on Korea in English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Arabic. The multi-language news service is very meaningful as the country is on the verge of becoming an advanced nation.
Yonhap's English-language news service reaches over 65 news agencies worldwide. In addition, international organizations, 160 government overseas missions and Internet users access the service via Yonhap's Web site.


Of all the local dailies and broadcasters based in Seoul, Yonhap boasts the largest number of reporters covering provinces.
Over 110 reporters posted in 13 major provincial cities write articles that help narrow the information divide between Seoul and provincial cities, balancing regional development and promoting unity.




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1980 Dec. 19 Yonhap is launched through the merger of Hapdong News Agency and Orient Press.

1981 Jan. 4 Publishes its first edition of news services.
1981 Jan. 12 Begins releasing domestic economic news to foreign subscribers.
1981 Jan. 19 Starts providing news services to Korean ships at sea.
1981 May 1 Begins publishing Yonhap Yearbook and Monthly.
1981 Aug. 6 Launches the Korea Annual, an English-language almanac.
1981 Sept. 11 Signs a news exchange contract with news agencies of ASEAN member countries.

1983 July 1 Signs a news exchange contract with AP Telerate.

1986 March 10 Signs a news exchange contract with DPA of Germany.
1986 Sept. 20 Serves as the key news agency for the Seoul Asian Games.

1987 Feb. 12 Holds a groundbreaking ceremony for its 12-story headquarters building in Susong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

1988 July 31 Dedicates its head office building.
1988 Aug. 1 Computerizes its news delivery system.
1988 Sept. 17 Serves as the host news agency for the Seoul Olympics.
1988 Oct. 27 Signs a news exchange contract with Hungary's MTI news agency.

1989 Jan. 4 Begins providing English news services to 50 overseas Korean diplomatic missions.
1989 March 16 Signs a news exchange contract with ITAR-TASS of Russia.
1989 May 16 Signs a news and photo exchange contract with Xinhua News Agency of China.



1990 Feb. 6 Signs a news exchange contract with Poland's PAP.
1990 Nov. 5 Signs a news exchange contract with Mongolia's Montsame.

1991 June 10 Signs a news exchange contract with Romania's Rompres.
1991 July 1 Begins providing news services through a radio station.
1991 Sept. 1 Establishes the Northeast Asia Information and Culture Center.
1991 Nov. 1 Launches a new economic and financial news service, Infomax.
1991 Nov. 16 Establishes a center to accumulate databases for news and photo services.
1991 Nov. 23 Begins providing graphic news services.

1992 Jan. 15 Signs a news exchange contract with Mexico's Notimex.
1992 July 7 Signs contracts with eight radio stations for the provision of news services.
1992 Nov. 9 Signs a contract with Reuters for graphic news services.

1993 June 21 Signs a news exchange contract with Australia's AAP.
1993 Sept. 14 Launches cable news network YTN.
1993 Sept. 19 Hosts the 14th OANA Executive Meeting.
1993 Dec. 5 Signs a news exchange contract with AFX-Asia.

1996 June 19 Opens a digital satellite photo transmission system.
1996 July 1 Begins providing corporate public relations news through Asia Net and regional business and industry news through Asia Pulse.
1996 Aug. 1 Begins providing upgraded Infomax II business and financial news services.
1996 Nov. 1 Establishes its own Internet server at yonhapnews.co.kr.

1997 Jan. 23 Signs a news exchange contract with Oman's ONA.
1997 Jan. 29 Signs a news exchange contract with Portugal's Lusa.
1997 March 2 Signs a news exchange contract with Egypt's Mena.
1997 Aug. 1 Begins providing radio news services through the Internet.

1998 Sept. 16 Declares code of ethics for its journalists.

1999 Jan. 1 Absorbs North Korea specialist Naewoe Press to enhance its North Korea news services.
1999 Dec. 27 Launches a sister facility management company, Yonhap P&M.



2000 Jan. 3 Begins providing English news service through the Internet.
2000 June 1 Establishes a sister company, Yonhap Infomax.
2000 June 9 Signs a contract with the government to assume the role of the host news agency for the 3rd ASEM summit in Seoul.
2000 July 26 Signs a news exchange contract with Vietnam's VNA.

2001 March 1 BLaunches a task force for the FIFA 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
2001 April 17 Signs a news exchange contract with Libya's Jana.
2001 May 1 Begins providing news services through Infovision on Busan Subway Line No. 1.
2001 May 17 Signs a news exchange contract for the FIFA 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup with Japan's Kyodo News.
2001 Aug. 19 Presents a letter of intent to North Korea's Korea Central News Agency for exchanging news services.
2001 Oct. 1 Signs a news exchange contract with Morocco's MAP.
2001 Dec. 1 Signs a contract with Bloomberg for the exclusive right to distribute Bloomberg's news content.

2002 Jan. 23 Opens Chinese- and Spanish-language Internet homepages for the FIFA 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup.
Signs a news exchange contract with the Korea Journal Media Group.
2002 March. 4 Signs a contract with SkyLife for the provision of interactive news services for satellite data broadcasting.
Dec. 10 Signs a contract with the Korea Central News Agency for the reception of news and photos.

2003 April 30 The South Korean parliament passes the bill on the promotion of news agencies.
2003 Aug. 30 The law on the promotion of news agencies goes into effect.
2003 Nov. 1 Signs a contract with Bloomberg on the free exchange of photos.
2003 Nov. 6 Renews a news cooperation contract with Kyodo News.

2004 Jan. 1 Starts Premium News service.
2004 April 1 Starts Chinese-language news service.
2004 April 22 Publishes a periodical, Yonhap Repere.

2004 Nov. 16 Establishes a center to accumulate databases for news and photo services.
2004 May 20 Signs a contract with KORAIL on the provision of news to Korea's KTX bullet train.

2005 June 1 Starts Japanese-language news service.
2005 June 15 Signs a contract with the government to be host news agency for the APEC summit in Busan.
2005 June 16 Dispatches an exclusively English-language correspondent to Washington, a first in the history of the Korean news media.
2005 July 21 Signs a cooperation contract with the National Disaster Information Center.
2005 Aug. 8 Launches "Yonhap U&I" internet broadcasting service.
2005 Oct. 24 Launches a news agency promotion committee.

2006 June 21 Starts Arabic-language new service.
2006 June 30 Signs a contract with Taiwan's CNA.
2006 Aug. 11 Signs a contract with EPA.
2006 Sept. 1 Holds a two-month special exhibition on the murals of the ancient Korean kingdom of Koguryo in Seoul.

2007 March 23 Starts news service on A'REX airport train.
2007 June 1 Opens a digital satellite photo transmission system.
2007 July 9 Starts an audio news service in foreign languages.
2007 Sept. 10 Starts Spanish-language news service.
2007 Oct. 11 Holds a one-month special exhibition on the murals of the ancient Korean kingdom of Koguryo in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.