RSF Criticizes, North’s Kim Jung-Il Is Plunderer of Freedom of Speech

`Reporters Without Borders (RSF)`, which is headquartered in Paris, France, criticized on the 1st, “As the Korean government arrested 3 press leaders after a public tax probe in last year, its intention against hostile press is doubtful.”

In `2002 International Press Freedom Annual Report` that was published on the day, RSF revealed, “Nobel prize-winner president Kim Dae-Jung declared `press reform` in last January, but it seemed to be a means to destroy large press groups rather than to free press-related laws.”

The report contained a minute introduction of the probe and arrest process that National Tax Service held tax probe against 20 private, public press in last year, but the investigation gradually focused on the most hostile newspapers against the Kim administration, including Donga Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo, and Donga Ilbo’s former honorary president Kim Byung-Kwan was eventually arrested.

The report continued to point out that “president Kim has been criticized of the fact that he tried to weaken the press media before the presidential election, which is to be held in December this year.”

The report also criticized against North Korea’s freedom of press, “Kim Jung-Il’s Stalin-system did not improve to opening as expected after the historical South-North summit conference in 2000. North Korean people are completely cut off from independent information, and direct Internet connection is reserved only for the minor, privileged class.”

Under the cooperation of the Chinese security force, the North Korean government is tracking people who attempt to exchange information through the northern border, and the North Korean security agents confiscated 100 free-channel TV transmitters near the northern border zone, so that only the North Korean public broadcasting could be watched, added the report.

`Reporters Without Borders` prescribed North Korean leader Kim Jung-Il as one of the 37 `International Press-Freedom Plunderers`.

Jei-Gyoon Park phark@donga.com