Newspaper Korean

Korean Grammar 4

Course 4 · Chapter 3 · Newspaper and Headline Korean

📰 Newspaper and Headline Korean — 신문과 기사

News Korean has two layers: the headline, a compressed string of nouns, and the body, written in the plain style (Korean Grammar 4 1) with a small, repetitive set of reporting verbs. Both are very formulaic, which makes them the easiest real Korean to learn to read: a few dozen patterns cover most articles. All the headlines and sentences in this chapter are invented examples written in the style of news, not quotations from real articles.

The rule in one box Headlines drop particles, endings and verbs: they end in a noun (검토, 전망, 우려, 논란) or a short verb stem, use commas for "and", quotation marks for speech and … to join two ideas. Body text is plain past tense, ending in a reporting verb: -(이)라고 밝혔다 ("stated"), -것으로 알려졌다 ("is reported"), -것으로 전망된다 ("is forecast").

Reading a headline

A headline is a sentence with the grammar taken out. Put it back by asking: who (the word before the comma is often the subject), what (the final noun or verb), and when (present tense often stands for the past).

Headline (invented)	What was dropped	Meaning
정부, 내년 최저임금 인상 검토	은/는, 을/를, 하고 있다	Government considering raising next year's minimum wage.
물가 3개월 연속 상승…서민 부담 커져	이/가, endings	Prices up for a third straight month… burden on ordinary people grows.
여름 폭염 전망…전력 수요 급증 우려	이/가, 이다	Summer heatwave forecast… fears of a surge in electricity demand.
시민단체 "환경 정책 후퇴" 비판	이/가, endings	Citizens' group criticises "retreat in environmental policy".
시험 결과 발표, 합격률 소폭 상승	은/는, 했다	Exam results announced; pass rate up slightly.

Headline habits

Noun endings: a headline usually ends with a noun made from a 하다 verb with the 하다 removed: 검토 (reviewing), 발표 (announcement), 추진 (pushing ahead), 합의 (agreement).
Comma for "and", or to set off the subject: 정부, … 검토 = "Government is considering…".
Ellipsis (…) joins two linked points: cause and effect, or two parts of a story.
Quotation marks for short quotes with the speaker first and the quoting verb last: 대표 "…" 강조.
Present tense for the past: a headline reports yesterday's news in the present, as English headlines do.
Expectation endings: -ㄹ 전망 (expected), -ㄹ 듯 (likely), -ㄹ 가능성 (possibility), -ㄹ 예정 (scheduled).

Common headline nouns

Word	Meaning	Word	Meaning
인상 / 인하	raise / cut (prices)	증가 / 감소	increase / decrease
급증 / 급감	surge / sharp drop	확대 / 축소	expansion / reduction
강화 / 완화	tightening / easing	논란	controversy
우려	concern	전망	outlook, forecast
추진	pushing ahead	검토	review, consideration
합의	agreement	비판	criticism

Reading the body: reporting verbs

News articles report what people said, and they are very consistent about how. The speaker comes first, then the quoted statement in plain style with -고 or -(이)라고, then the reporting verb.

Pattern	Example (invented)	Meaning
-(이)라고 밝혔다	한국은행은 10일 기준금리를 동결했다고 밝혔다.	The Bank of Korea stated on the 10th that it had held the base rate.
-(이)라고 말했다	시장은 "내년에 공원을 짓겠다"고 말했다.	The mayor said, "We will build a park next year."
-고 전했다	현지 언론은 사고가 났다고 전했다.	Local media reported that an accident occurred.
-고 덧붙였다 / 강조했다	그는 "신중해야 한다"고 강조했다.	He stressed, "We must be careful."
~에 따르면	경찰에 따르면 피해자는 없었다.	According to the police, there were no victims.

Passive and "it is reported" verbs

Pattern	Example	Meaning
-ㄴ/는 것으로 알려졌다	사고는 오전에 발생한 것으로 알려졌다.	The accident is reported to have happened in the morning.
-ㄹ 것으로 전망된다	올해 성장률은 낮을 것으로 전망된다.	This year's growth rate is forecast to be low.
-ㄹ 것으로 예상된다	내일 비가 올 것으로 예상된다.	Rain is expected tomorrow.
-ㄴ/는 것으로 나타났다	조사 결과 응답자의 60%가 찬성한 것으로 나타났다.	The survey found that 60% of respondents agreed.
-ㄴ/는 것으로 확인됐다	원인은 전기 합선인 것으로 확인됐다.	The cause was confirmed to be an electrical short circuit.
-ㄹ 예정이다	회의는 다음 주에 열릴 예정이다.	The meeting is scheduled to be held next week.

The commonest news verbs

Verb	Meaning	Verb	Meaning
밝히다	state, reveal officially	알려지다	become known, be reported
전망되다	be forecast	예상되다	be expected
발표하다	announce	추진하다	push ahead with
확인되다	be confirmed	나타나다	appear, turn out
제기하다	raise (an issue)	비판하다	criticise

Time words, numbers and abbreviations

Item	Meaning / use
지난 10일 / 10일	on the 10th (past date, day of the month)
이날 / 같은 날	on that day / on the same day
한편	meanwhile (turning to a new point)
전년 대비 5% 증가	up 5% compared with last year
1.5조 원 / 3억 원	1.5 trillion won / 300 million won
한은	short for 한국은행 (the Bank of Korea)
등	"and so on" at the end of a list

Headline writers shorten institution names (한국은행 → 한은) and often use single Chinese-character abbreviations such as 與 and 野 for the governing and opposition parties. The use of these characters is declining, so treat them as something to recognise rather than copy.

Watch out: headline style does not belong in your own writing A headline's clipped nouns and missing particles are a professional convention. In an essay or an email, restore the particles and the verb: write 정부가 최저임금 인상을 검토하고 있다, not 정부, 최저임금 인상 검토.

🗣️ In Use — 실제 예문

Three invented news items in the style of a report.

① A headline and its first sentence

시청, 내년 도서관 3곳 신설 추진 City hall pushes plan to build 3 libraries next year.

시청은 내년에 도서관 3곳을 새로 지을 계획이라고 밝혔다. City hall stated that it plans to build three new libraries next year.

② A forecast

기상청에 따르면 내일은 전국에 비가 올 것으로 예상된다. According to the weather agency, rain is expected across the country tomorrow.

③ A survey

조사 결과 시민의 70%가 새 정책에 찬성한 것으로 나타났다. The survey found that 70% of citizens support the new policy.

📋 Quick Reference — 요약표

Pattern	Meaning	Example
headline noun ending	verb dropped	인상 검토
-(이)라고 밝혔다	stated	동결했다고 밝혔다
~에 따르면	according to	경찰에 따르면
-ㄴ/는 것으로 알려졌다	is reported	발생한 것으로 알려졌다
-ㄹ 것으로 전망된다	is forecast	낮을 것으로 전망된다
-ㄴ/는 것으로 나타났다	was found	찬성한 것으로 나타났다
-ㄹ 예정이다	is scheduled	열릴 예정이다

✏️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Work out the answer first, then click to check.

1. Read the headline: 정부, 새 정책 발표. What is the subject and what happened?

Show answer

The government (subject) announced a new policy (발표, with 하다 and the particles dropped).

2. Restore the grammar: 물가 상승, 서민 부담.

Show answer

물가가 상승해 서민 부담이 커졌다. Prices rose, increasing the burden on ordinary people.

3. Say "The company stated that it would raise prices" in news style.

Show answer

회사는 가격을 올리겠다고 밝혔다.

4. Say "According to the survey, 60% agree."

Show answer

조사에 따르면 60%가 찬성한다.

5. Say "The accident is reported to have happened at night."

Show answer

사고는 밤에 발생한 것으로 알려졌다.

6. Say "The meeting is scheduled for next month."

Show answer

회의는 다음 달에 열릴 예정이다.

7. What do 인상 and 인하 mean, and what is the 5% in 전년 대비 5% 증가?

Show answer

인상 = raise, 인하 = cut. 전년 대비 5% 증가 = up 5% compared with last year.

8. Which tense does a headline use for yesterday's news?

Show answer

The present (or just a noun); the article body then uses the past tense.

9. Read aloud and translate: 전력 수요 급증 우려.

Show answer

Fears of a surge in electricity demand.

Coming up in Chapter 4: Titles, Address and Social Language. You will learn the difference between 호칭 and 지칭, family and workplace titles, 님 / 씨 / 선생님, polite refusals and requests, and the language of customer service.