It was first published as Jinsen Keijō Kakushū Shōhō (仁川京城隔週商報, 인천경성격주상보), then changed its name to Chōsen Shunpō (朝鮮旬報, 조선주보) in 1891.

[2][1] Joseon's policy of isolationism was forcefully ended by Japan in 1876, with the Ganghwa Island incident and subsequent unequal Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876.

[3] While the treaty initially only gave Japan access to Busan, over time Japanese settlers began arriving in greater numbers throughout the peninsula.

However, scholars assume the year 1890 based on the testimony of Aoyama Yoshie (靑山互惠), who ran the paper at latest by 1894[4] and was prominent in Incheon around this time.

[4] The newspaper's finances were tight initially, but it became more stable after the Japanese consulate began providing a stipend of 50 won per month beginning in April 1897.

[7] On March 10, 1904, it established a Korean-language edition in Incheon, entitled Taehan Ilbo (대한일보; 大韩日報; Daikan Nippō).