The Kyunghyang Shinmun held a ceremony declaring its vision for its 80th anniversary at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Oct. 6. Its slogan is 'Reading the Truth, Connecting the World.' President Lee Jae-myung's message, read by presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, noted the turmoil of a media transition and urged the press to hold to its role.

The president described an age of abundant information but scarce trustworthy news. He hoped the paper would keep its pledges to report the truth even when it is uncomfortable, to put accuracy ahead of speed, and not to waver before any power.

The message also recalled the paper's history. Founded in 1946, the Kyunghyang was forcibly shut down in 1959 and revived after the April 19 Revolution, then became an employee-owned company during the 1998 financial crisis and declared itself independent. The president said this record contributed to protecting democracy.

Management said it would leap to become a comprehensive knowledge media group through strategic investments, including launching new outlets. Figures from many fields, including Sister Lee Hae-in and Buddhist monk Seonjae, attended and encouraged the paper to be a press that gives hope.

As AI chatbots and algorithmic recommendations take over the gateway to news consumption, how to keep public trust is not only Korea's concern. How one newspaper's declaration of a 'new hundred years' after 80 will meet changing readers remains to be seen.