Abstract

This article analyzes the inaugural year of The Women’s News to reconstruct its histo- ry and examine its role and significance as a feminist media outlet. Founded in the post-democratization era to amplify the voices of women historically marginalized in Korean society and media, the newspaper positioned itself as an alternative platform representing all women. Balancing its identity as a “ women’s liberation” publication resisting the dehumanization of women with its commitment to “popular appeal” add- ed layers of complexity to its early development. To effectively fulfill its role as a feminist newspaper, The Women’s News introduced new formats for page layout and cover design, and actively carried a variety of feminist special features. It also established an Education and Culture Center to provide general education for women and inaugurated the Feminist Literature Award. Furthermore, The Women’s News actively reported on discrimination against women in the labor market in the late 1980s. Through this, it documented the process of reconstructing workplace rules, culture, and laws centered on the experiences of working women, and played a role in shaping feminist discourse on women’s work. Ultimately, these endeavors established The Women’s News as a pivotal medium synthesizing the everyday lives and voices of contemporary women with the political praxis of the feminist movement.