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Introduction to People’s Media Chamsaesang

A new Korean People’s Media, ‘Chamsaesang’ (which means ‘true world’), took off on 1st May 2005, as an alternative media for the Korean left movement.

Neoliberal attack of capital is sweeping across the entire world. The Korean ruling class is pushing forth various neoliberal policies. As a result, livelihood of workers and people is under threat while social impoverishment is becoming increasingly worse. However, it is also true that the resistance and struggles of the people are also continuing.

Chamsaesang is a new media aiming to manifest the true lives and struggles of the people and to contribute to building an alternative society. The media department of Jinbonet (Korea's independent ICT network) became independent and transformed into the new people's media together with labour, social and media movements.

There is a need for a new people’s media at the moment in Korea, for various reasons:

w         Impact of internet news service is growing, while progressive media is becoming politically diverse;

w         Social contradiction is growing due to onset of neoliberal globalization, leading to a growing need for creation of alternative discourse;

w         There is a need for a media that can play the role as planner, coordinator and formulator of solidarity for the people’s movement;

w         Intervention into mainstream, institutionalized media is important as well as formulation of strategy for an alternative media movement;

w         An infrastructure of media activists who can contribute to movements needs to be established.

Thus, Chamsaesang aims to become a media that:

w         is independent from capital;

w         can develop and disseminate alternative discourse;

w         can play the role of day to day media as well as political media for people’s struggles;

w         expands the public sphere against institutionalized, mainstream media;

w         expands the networking of people dedicated to social change.

Furthermore, Chamsaesang is a media of workers, peasants, the poor, women, disabled persons, migrant workers, youths and social minorities. It will be financed by membership fees and social, public support, and will maintain financial independence. It will stay guard against neoliberalist and ultranationalist ideologies, and instead will strive to become a left media that is based on the lives, struggles, culture and alternative discourse of people as social agents.

Kim Se-kyun, (President / Professor of Political Science, Seoul National University)

Chamsaesang 
Website: http://www.newscham.net
5F Jung-bong-won BLDG, 1-13 Chungpa-dong 1-Ga
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 140-868, Korea
Tel: +82-2-701-7688
E-mail: chamss@jinbo.net