Congratulations, Post! 
Kim Hee-ok,
President of Dongguk University
On behalf of Dongguk University, I extend my sincere congratulations to The Dongguk Post, the only English news medium on campus, on the occasion of its 400th issue. I strongly believe that it will continue to serve as a trustworthy news source to and for our university. As for the student reporters, I hope that you are well-aware of the significance of the Post and do not forget all the hardships you have endured to make this happy occasion possible. You deserve our warm congratulations since you have all worked hard to make The Dongguk Post as successful as it is now. I would also like to encourage students to actively participate in extra-curricular activities and thereby grasp more opportunities for success in their future.
I hope that The Dongguk Post will continue to be an essential source of reliable news and valuable information for the members of Dongguk University.
Congratulations again to The Dongguk Post for its 400th edition.
The Dongguk Post Marks an Important Milestone
Park Bum-sik
Faculty Advisor Professor
I would like to express my deepest congratulations to The Dongguk Post on the publication of its 400th issue. The Post has a long history. It was first published in 1966 and has since been an invaluable information and news source to the members of Dongguk University. Over the years, like most other university newspapers, it has undergone various changes to cope with the ever changing social and financial situations and sometimes declining number of readers. Nevertheless, it has never failed to address current and important issues on and outside campus, and has always attempted to provide new and insightful perspectives. This is how The Dongguk Post has become an important part of Dongguk history. Evidently, this 400th issue marks an important milestone in the history of the Post and Dongguk University.
We have all benefited from the Post and this would never have been possible without the collective and cumulative effort of the past and present reporters. Working as an advisory professor to The Dongguk Post, I have seen how hard they have worked to search for news topics, gather relevant information, meet with people, write articles in English, and edit the newspaper. Not an easy task for university students nowadays with a lot of other things to attend to. They have decided to take the challenging job because they wish to make The Dongguk Post very important and essential part of Dongguk, and they will continue to do so. This will become even more evident in the succeeding issues of The Dongguk Post.
Walk Together as One Big Force
Kim You-jinEditor-in-Chief of The UOS TimesUniversity of Seoul
Congratulations! I am very happy to have the opportunity to congratulate the Post on the publishing its 400th issue. Although the Post remains a steady and robust English medium of Dongguk University, this is a very difficult time for most of English media in universities of Korea. The identity and role of them are being increasingly questioned and doubted by their universities, and some of them have actually been forced to be abolished.There may be many different reasons, but their importance and influence in the universities are generally considered to be insignificant.Also, some universities believe that in the past, the role of most of English media in the universities used to be quenching the students’ need for learning English, but now that most of the students are already fairly fluent in English, universities’ English media have lost their meaning. Whatever the reason might be, many universities’ English media are undergoing difficult times and are fighting for their maintenance and subsistence at this point.
All this said, however, there is always a chance to make this “threat” into an “opportunity.” Facing the difficult time and situation,we have been working closely and putting a lot of efforts in planning and carrying out various schemes and programs more than ever to benefit all of us for our collective development.It is my firm belief that if we continue to unite in working for our common goal, we would be able to reassure the universities of our genuine identity and role, and together, we will continually grow as one big joined force.
Road Left for Us to Take
Choi Ji-wonEditor-in-Chief of The Granite TowerKorea University
Autumn has come and the wind has suddenly gotten ice cold; in such weather, it is a relief to be giving a warm congratulation to The Dongguk Post for its 400th publication. Congratulations on coming such a long way. As many other magazines and newspapers have covered in their issues, the stand of English printing media is getting ever so small. It seems that college students are becoming so accustomed to a life without print media, though it remains doubtful as to whether they are interested in “news” itself. As a part of the English college media myself, the survival of print media has become a perennial problem. People, students to be exact, may know that it helps to read English magazines and newspapers but always turn their backs to such them. Though we strive to make them interested, it seems as if it has become an irreversible trend.
In these hard times, the fact that The Dongguk Post has survived long enough to celebrate its 400th publication is more touching. I cannot even imagine what efforts the editors have put in to continue on the legacy of the starters of The Dongguk Post. The road left for us to take is to follow the trend, and enlarge our media to the web. The Dongguk Post has already started doing so, with their website neatly managed. Thank you for your efforts; and thank you for giving me a chance to participate in what I believe would be another wonderful issue. Cheers!
We Need More Effort
Kim Da-hyeEditor-in-Chief of The Chung-Ang HeraldChung-Ang University
I sincerely congratulate The Dongguk Post for publishing its 400th edition. I would like to give a round of applause to efforts the editor-in-chief and the reporters have made until publishing 400th edition. In addition, thanks to the readers who are interested in and enjoy reading university English newspapers. Prosperity of The Dongguk Post could have never been possible without their supports. In the crisis of campus media, I expect more advancement of The Dongguk Post even there exists much difficulty to overcome. 400 volumes of the newspapers are not only the history of The Dongguk Post but also that of the campus media. The history of the university English newspapers is very long. We, The Chung-Ang Herald, also takes a large part in making history by publishing 512 volumes of the magazine so far. Moreover, many universities do their best to make better magazines and newspapers, and create a new history of campus press. Now, we have to work together to overcome the crisis. I think UKCEM(Union of Korean College English Medias), The Dongguk Post and The Chung-Ang Herald are in need of cooperation. We should make an effort together to publish high quality papers and provide more useful information. Again, CAH congratulates The Dongguk Post on publishing its 400th edition and wish for the everlasting improvement of The Dongguk Post.
Fight for the Future
Jeong Yeun-il Chief Managing Director of The SNU QuillSeoul National University
As time goes by, many things tend to change in this world. Good things perish, and sometimes bad things do, too. However, there are those who still stand to keep things going just the way they are and time to time, that consistency is the key to properity. The fact that The Dongguk Post has been keeping themselves busy and better yet, keeps trying hard to find new means to innovate itself is admirable. 400 may be just a number, but it is one that cannot be reached without persistent innovations and overcoming countless adversities; it is in this number where lie the blood and flesh of all our collective fathers who foresaw the importance of right to know and also about the importance of plurilinguisme as a virtue for the future generations. However, in an even bigger sense, 400 is a number that could easily be discarded as meager. Compare it to 4,000 or 40,000 even. If they could push forward to this point, who says they cannot make it to 400,000? As noted before, consistency and innovative mind are the key factors in this ever changing state of print journalism. From what I have witnessed, I believe that The Dongguk Post is one of the few college English media firms that are equipped with such senses. As appropriate as it is to commemorate this historical issue, I hope The Dongguk Post and its members to be even more vigilant from this moment on for those who settle for the good of the present are easily tempted to settle for good. Congratulations on your 400th issue and please, keep doing what you are good at and fight for the future of the whole university press scene.
Echo the Voices of Students
Ko Min SeokEditor-in-Chief of The Ewha VoiceEwha Womans University
On behalf of the Ewha Voice staff, I would like to express our sincerest congratulations to their contribution to Dongguk University community as the English university press. This edition, celebrating a milestone, will be a fitting tribute to all those who have been part of success story over the past 400 publications. I believe the reporters and editors of The Dongguk Post will successfully maintain efforts to further demonstrate the exceptional quality of the newspaper.
In recent years, university media sources are said to be facing a crisis with the shrinking platform for university press to perform its roles as a news media. This tendency, I believe, is present as universities no longer publish original news. Articles published in university papers are far from being “new”s.They are rather applications of social issues in the context of the university. To overcome this shortcoming, university press reports must localize their focus, get on their feet, listen to the student body, and report on their issues and stories. Though we may not be able to free ourselves from societal issues, we must adhere to our audiences. Amidst the confusion faced by most media sources, The Dongguk Post stands firm, making an effort to echo the voices of students.I send best wishes to all those present for a memorable and enriching experience at The Dongguk Post and for the continued success of the newspaper in years to come.
Seek for the Truth
Lee Ye-chanEditor-in-Chief of The Duksung VistaDuksung Women's University
The Duksung Vista sincerely congratulates 400th publishing of The Dongguk Post. I do not doubt that The Dongguk Post is a great example to many university English media. During this long journey, for all we know, many student reporters might have been in trouble because of their truth-seeking reports. Despite the troubles, reporters could keep writing their own reports thanks to their readers. As Oscar Wilde said, the truth is rarely pure and never simple, seeking truth is not an easy thing. Notwithstanding the hardship, do not give up! The Dongguk Post and its readers, please keep up the good work and be the upright media to the readers.
Student’s Dear Post,
“It is a great pride that my university has a hard-working English newspaper reporters. I sincerely congratulate The Dongguk Post’s 400th edition.”-Oh Dae San, Economics, freshman
“The Post has always awakened me to learn English and current issues. I can guarantee that a brighter future awaits for them!”-Cho Hee-young, Mass Communication and Journalism, freshman.
“Congratulations on marking 400th on your journey. Continue your hard work and always remember that your work is appreciated by all the readers.”-Lee Dong-hun, Architecture, junior
“Congratulations! Finally, our only English newspaper bore its 400th fruit. I hope the Post flourish and break the news continually with colorful articles.”-Jeong Se-yeong, Korean major, freshman