He founded a newspaper that advocated for Korean independence from Japan, The Korea Daily News.

In 1904, Ernest Bethell travelled from Kobe, Japan, where he had been in the export business, to Korea as a correspondent for the Daily Chronicle, with the purpose of reporting on the Russo-Japanese War.

Many people who opposed the Japanese rule, such as Park Eun-sik and Sin Chae-ho, wrote articles and columns in the paper.

However, in 1907, Bethell was prosecuted in the British Consular Court in Seoul for breach of the peace and given a good behaviour bond of six months.

About 250 people participated in the ceremony, also including Park Yoo-chul, chairman of the Korea Liberation Association.