Maekyung AX is the digital arm of the Maeil Business Newspaper (MK Media Group), designed to provide personalized, AI-powered news services. As one of Korea’s leading economic dailies, Maeil Business Newspaper traditionally appealed to readers in their 50s and 60s. The key challenge was finding ways to engage younger audiences, millennials and Gen Z, who are less drawn to conventional news formats and primarily consume information via social media and video platforms.

To address this, Maekyung AX launched dig, an explanatory newsletter created to expand the reach of journalism among readers in their 20s and 30s. The concept was simple yet innovative: deliver economic and social issues in a newsletter format with easy-to-follow explanations, helping younger audiences understand complex topics more intuitively.

In its early stages, dig operated as a small social-impact project led by just two reporters handling everything from planning and reporting to content development and design. Despite limited resources, the project quickly resonated with its target audience. Positive feedback on the high-quality content spread organically, and subscriptions grew rapidly through word of mouth alone without any paid promotion.

Encouraged by this early success, the team sought to go beyond an email-based newsletter and create a more interactive, personalized experience. Readers had shown strong interest in features like event-based quizzes, gamified content, and personalized bookmarks, prompting the need for a platform capable of supporting such functions.

With support from the Google News Initiative (GNI), Maekyung AX became the first major Korean media outlet to develop a dedicated web and mobile platform specifically for readers in their 20s and 30s. This expansion strengthened its digital ecosystem and established new touchpoints for deeper audience engagement.

The explanatory newsletter dig successfully captured the attention of millennial and Gen Z readers through accessible, engaging content and an intuitive user experience. The project has since become one of Maeil Business Newspaper’s most notable digital success stories, underpinned by strong metrics and authentic audience feedback.

After the launch of the GNI-supported web platform, monthly average page views increased fivefold compared to the previous three months. Data showed that average engagement time among logged-in users rose by 50%, and that logged-in users spent nearly twice as long per session as visitors on the main newspaper’s website. Notably, 74% of dig readers accessed content directly, rather than through portal search results, demonstrating strong reader loyalty and brand recognition.

Reader engagement further reflected this loyalty. “Likes,” comments, and other forms of interaction continued to grow, and even before the web launch, dig’s feedback channel received detailed suggestions and messages of encouragement from readers. Achieving this level of engagement without paid promotion underscored the project’s exceptional cost efficiency.

Building on this momentum, dig expanded its content portfolio to meet increasing demand for credible, in-depth information. In addition to the thrice-weekly newsletter Today’s Digging, the platform now features News Pick (a summary of key issues), dig Quiz (a daily finance quiz), and Digging Plus, premium content that readers can access using points earned within the platform. With support from GNI, the team also developed a dedicated brand character, Dooji, to make the platform more relatable and engaging for readers.

The project has also had a positive ripple effect on Maeil Business Newspaper. Following the launch of the web and app platforms, cross-traffic between dig and the main publication increased, reinforcing their shared brand identity.

Looking ahead, dig is emerging as a testbed for potential paid-membership models. Many Korean publishers are actively exploring ways to diversify revenue beyond traditional advertising or portal-based distribution. Through its mileage system—which rewards loyal readers with access to additional content like Digging Plus—dig is cultivating a natural subscription habit. The long-term goal is to convert these highly engaged readers into future paid subscribers, supporting the sustainable growth of the Maeil Business brand.