Comment: Distorted view of the media during elections in South Korea

South Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung (centre) of the ruling Democratic Party during an election campaign at a market in Sejong. — AFP

THE South Korean media, like most around the world, has been struggling to cope with a slew of challenges in recent years, such as declining ad revenue, shrinking subscriber numbers and weakening influence in an era of social media.

For the embattled media, there is one more critical thing to overcome in the country: the sheer hostility of the two main presidential candidates toward the media.