The scene of being taken into custody after attending a hearing for an arrest warrant. Screenshot from TV Chosun broadcast

I have left Skydaily to establish the Hankook Miguk Ilbo (Korea-US-Japan Daily) with like-minded seniors, juniors, and colleagues.

I sincerely apologize on behalf of those who were deeply disappointed as Skydaily drastically shifted its editorial stance from a right-wing to a left-wing newspaper within just one month of a new president's inauguration in April 2025.

I established a right-wing labor union and served as its chairman, fighting against the new left-wing management and editorial team. However, we were no match for the power of capital. I was demoted to the international desk, expelled from editorial meetings, and stripped of my article dispatch rights. During this time, I was unable to report any articles. The new left-wing management, without consulting me at all, who was in charge of the 5.18 articles, published an apology for 5.18 and unilaterally posted an unfounded warning that the report on the Chinese spy ring was false. I had to endure this humiliation. After much deliberation, I founded the Hankook Miguk Ilbo, and through the nomination of my seniors, juniors, and colleagues who joined me, I have taken on the undeserved position of CEO.

On the day my arrest warrant hearing for the Chinese spy ring report was held in May and the warrant was ultimately rejected, I made a resolution while detained in the detention center for just over 12 hours. While my half-day detention is incomparable to the suffering of our respected former President Park Geun-hye and President Yoon Suk-yeol, who have willingly sacrificed themselves to eradicate anti-state forces, as well as military generals and their subordinates, and the patriotic young right-wing individuals who are imprisoned following the January 19th Western District Court incident, that day also marked a second chapter in my life and a new temporal and spatial dimension where I reaffirmed my firm resolve.

I prayed that I would continue to provide common-sense reporting that reveals the truth without backing down, even if given another opportunity. I pledged that no matter what hardships followed, I would never shirk the calling bestowed upon me. I repeatedly told myself that I would not show the shameful subservience of bowing down without any wind to push me. Though I am not exceptionally talented or intelligent, I firmly resolved as an ordinary reporter who simply wanted to advance slightly with common sense to produce and report articles that align with the universal common sense and sentiments of patriotic right-wing citizens and readers. I believe this is the indispensable, epochal calling required of the media and journalists at this very moment.

False elections are not an issue of left or right. They are a critical, urgent task to protect the constitutional order and the sovereignty of the people. 5.18 should not be viewed through the lens of factional logic or personal gain; it is a tragic entanglement of modern history and an unprecedented celebration of bonuses that urgently requires the clarification of truth. There is no country in the world that stifles the reinterpretation and evaluation of history through legislation. Any historical event or figure should be subject to criticism. The 5.18 Special Act, which forces a singular interpretation of history, is an evil law that must disappear from a free democratic system. I want to sound the alarm about a reality where irrationality has become commonplace. I have returned to the starting line with the humble aspiration of serving as the salt and light that reveals the truth in the current skewed media landscape.

Neil Armstrong, who first landed on the moon in human history in 1969, said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Although this is a small beginning, I am taking my first step again with a sincere and humble heart, aiming to contribute even a little to preserving the national body. If I put my whole heart into it, the fruits will surely be sweet. Even if it means being arrested again, I will not betray my readers. Even if I serve a prison sentence due to false accusations, I will humbly record another page of history with the conviction of protecting my sources.

I request your abundant support, encouragement, and criticism.

Heo Gyeom, CEO of Hankook Miguk Ilbo, a patriotic right-wing journalistic paper