6 bidders vie for control of JoongAng Ilbo as sale enters final round

Six bidders are competing in the final round to acquire control of JoongAng Ilbo in Korea. The contenders are Orion, Global Sae-A, Daou Kiwoom Group, OK Financial Group, Geumbo Development and eBroadcasting, with Daou Kiwoom participating in a consortium with CJ Group. JoongAng Ilbo entered a creditor-led workout program in July, and the deal could be worth up to 500 billion won. Creditors plan to select a preferred bidder by the end of October.

The buyer will acquire newly issued shares, directing the acquisition proceeds into JoongAng Ilbo as fresh capital rather than buying out the existing controlling shareholder.

CJ Group holds a 9.24 percent stake in JoongAng Ilbo through its affiliate CJ OliveNetworks, making it the newspaper’s third-largest shareholder.

Korea’s Act on the Promotion of Newspapers limits large business groups to ownership of no more than 50 percent of a general daily newspaper.

The buyer’s ability to promptly provide additional funding will be a key consideration because JoongAng Ilbo remains burdened by debt and payment guarantees.

Published Oct 19, 2026 5:35 pm KST

Preferred bidder for newspaper publisher to be named by end of Oct.

Joongang Ilbo headquarters in Seoul / Korea Times photo by Yun Gi-hun

The final round of bidding to acquire control of JoongAng Ilbo, one of Korea’s leading newspaper publishers, is officially down to six contenders, industry officials said Monday.

The six bidders, all of whom participated in last month’s preliminary bidding, include confectionery maker Orion, Global Sae-A, Daou Kiwoom Group, OK Financial Group, Geumbo Development and eBroadcasting. Daou Kiwoom Group is participating as part of a consortium with CJ Group, which emerged as a surprise contender in reports on Friday.

JoongAng Ilbo entered a creditor-led workout program in July after its parent, JoongAng Group, ran into a liquidity crisis. The program allows a company to negotiate debt restructuring with creditors while retaining greater control of its operations than it would under court-supervised rehabilitation.

The buyer will gain control of the publisher by acquiring newly issued shares rather than buying out the existing controlling shareholder. This arrangement would channel the acquisition money directly into cash-strapped JoongAng Ilbo, giving it fresh capital to shore up its finances.

The deal itself is estimated to be worth as much as 500 billion won ($376 million). But with debt and payment guarantees still weighing on the publisher, the buyer’s ability to promptly provide additional funding will be a key consideration.

The Daou Kiwoom-CJ consortium is seen as a leading candidate, given the groups' financial resources and established business operations.

CJ already holds a 9.24 percent stake in JoongAng Ilbo through its affiliate CJ OliveNetworks, making it the newspaper’s third-largest shareholder.

Both groups are subject to a legal cap on ownership of general daily newspapers under Korea’s Act on the Promotion of Newspapers. Large business groups cannot own more than 50 percent of such a publication, making a partnership one possible way to split the stake between them.

The publisher’s creditors plan to select a preferred bidder by the end of October, after reviewing the proposals.

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六家竞标者正在进入最后一轮，争夺韩国《中央日报》的控股权。这六家竞标者分别是Orion、Global Sae-A、Daou Kiwoom集团、OK金融集团、Geumbo Development和eBroadcasting，其中Daou Kiwoom与CJ集团组成财团参与竞标。《中央日报》于7月启动了由债权人主导的重组计划，此次交易金额可能高达5000亿韩元。债权人计划在10月底前选出首选竞标者。

买方将收购新发行的股份，并将收购所得款项作为新资本注入《中央日报》，而不是收购现有控股股东的股份。

CJ集团通过其附属公司CJ OliveNetworks持有《中央日报》9.24%的股份，是该报的第三大股东。

韩国《报业振兴法》限制大型商业集团持有综合性日报的股份不得超过50%。

买方能否及时提供额​​外资金将是一个关键考虑因素，因为《中央日报》仍然背负着债务和支付担保的负担。

发布于2026年10月19日下午5:35（韩国标准时间）

报业出版商的首选竞标者将于10月底确定。

《中央日报》首尔总部 / 韩国时报摄影：尹基勋

韩国主要报业出版商之一《中央日报》的最终收购竞标阶段，正式缩减至六家竞争者，业内人士周一表示。

参与上月预选竞标的六家竞标者包括糖果制造商Orion、Global Sae-A、Daou Kiwoom集团、OK金融集团、Geumbo Development和eBroadcasting。Daou Kiwoom集团与CJ集团组成财团参与竞标，CJ集团在周五的报道中意外成为竞争者。

中央日报（JoongAng Ilbo）的母公司中央集团（JoongAng Group）陷入流动性危机后，该公司于7月进入债权人主导的重组计划。该计划允许公司在与债权人协商债务重组的同时，比在法院监管的重整程序下保留更大的运营控制权。

收购方将通过购买新发行的股份而非收购现有控股股东的股份来获得对出版社的控制权。这种安排会将收购资金直接注入资金短缺的《中央日报》，为其提供新的资金以改善财务状况。

这笔交易本身的估值估计高达5000亿韩元（约合3.76亿美元）。但由于出版商仍面临债务和支付担保方面的压力，买方能否迅速提供额外资金将是一个关键考量因素。

鉴于大宇起航-CJ财团拥有雄厚的财力和成熟的业务运营，该财团被视为领先的候选者。

CJ集团通过其附属公司CJ OliveNetworks持有《中央日报》9.24%的股份，是该报的第三大股东。

根据韩国《报业振兴法》，这两个集团对综合性日报的持股比例均有法律限制。大型企业集团持有此类报纸的股份不得超过50%，因此合伙经营是双方分割股份的一种可能方式。

出版商的债权人计划在审查提案后，于 10 月底选出首选竞标者。

《中央日报》在债权人重组期间出售控股权

谁将收购陷入困境的《中央日报》？

CJ、Daou Kiwoom可能联手竞标《中央日报》