South Korean journalists are far more likely to uncritically reproduce political statements, press releases and earning reports than their peers in other countries, rather than doing original reporting and investigation, Korea Pro analysis of domestic news coverage shows.

Due to an environment in which the government and corporations have outsized control when it comes to setting the news agenda and an environment in which quantity counts over quality, former newspaper staffers and commentators say there’s little incentive for ROK journalists to dig below the surface of what’s going on around them.