Korean newsroom submission is far more than sending an email. Per-outlet CMS specifications, XML node structure, image resolution, send timing and embargo handling — dozens of variables decide whether your release surfaces in search and on portals. The list below mirrors the pre-flight checks BlinkHub runs automatically before any release leaves the system. Teams that need PDF or HWP templates can download them at the bottom.
1. Preparation
- Latest corporate registration, business license and brand identity assets on hand
- Desk-editor email and phone numbers organized per outlet
- FTP credentials (host, port, account, key) maintained in a per-outlet sheet
- Executive quotes pre-confirmed for attribution and title
2. Manuscript format
- Headline within 35 Korean characters, subheading within 60
- Lead paragraph within 200 characters, satisfying 5W1H
- Body of 1,200–1,800 characters (average Korean outlet cut-off)
- Dedicated About paragraph at the end of the body
- Press contact (name, email, phone) included at the bottom
- Designated category (IT, business, culture, lifestyle, etc.) set in metadata
3. XML / FTP spec
- UTF-8 encoding without BOM; body wrapped in CDATA
- Required nodes: title, subtitle, lead, body, reporter, category, pubDate
- HTTPS absolute image URLs, 1200x800 or higher recommended
- Follow per-outlet FTP filename rules (prefix, date, serial)
- Verify ACK responses through delivery logs after transmission
4. Images & captions
- One hero image plus up to three supporting images
- Latin-character filenames (e.g. blinkhub_launch_main.jpg)
- Captions within 50 characters; for people, left-to-right title and name
- Copyright holder (photographer / provider) credited
5. Timing
- Weekdays 9–11 AM KST maximises pickup before desk deadlines
- Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons (release surge)
- Embargoes must declare release time at the top of the body
6. Post-distribution
- Check Naver News visibility at 30 minutes, 2 hours and 24 hours
- Collect placement URLs per outlet for later KPI reporting
- Re-send immediately on typos or corrections, preserving history
- Monitor SERP positions for core brand and product keywords
Ten most common pitfalls
These are the failure modes most often repeated in production. Glance through them one more time right before you press send — small slips on this list can sink an entire campaign's visibility.
- Emojis or special characters in the headline (break outlet CMS rendering)
- Unsupported superlatives (best/lowest/first) in body — common rejection cause
- Image files over 5MB causing FTP transmission failure
- Missing About paragraph leading to 'unknown company' filtering
- Pre-distribution without embargo notice, damaging outlet trust
- Re-sending the same release within 24 hours triggering duplicate penalties
- Skipping pre-approval of executive quotes, causing post-publication disputes
- FTP credential expiry not monitored, silently failing delivery
- Incorrect category metadata routing the release to the wrong section
- Listing only a personal mobile number, overloading response handling
Download templates
The same items above are available as Korean-language HWP and PDF templates. Use them as a shared QA tool between internal approvers and external PR agencies.