Government vs. IPI

The government and the International Press Institute (IPI)’s debate over `free press` is getting fierce. The government reacted immediately to the letter from IPI by saying that IPI’s letter is an intervention in Korean domestic affairs. The letter, sent to President Kim Dae-Jung by IPI, condemned that tax probe of Korean media companies was an attempt to censor a free press.

Whenever IPI urged the Korean government to allow `free press,` the government immediately refuted IPI’s requests. IPI Korean committee keeps only some of the IPI’s statements or letters, and the government also has kept the IPI materials related to the current government.

According to Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Government Information Agency (GIA), most of the IPI related materials have been lost during the frequent transition of the press related government departments.

According to the IPI Korean Committee, IPI announced a statement with regard to the `Minzok Ilbo` incident in 1961 and the subsequent legislation of the `Press Ethic Law` in 1964, worrying the possibility of censorship.

IPI’s most active intervention in Korean press took place in 1974 when Park Jung-Hee regime suppressed Donga Ilbo’s advertisement. IPI announced a statement on January 15, 1975, condemning the suppression of advertisement and supporting the Donga Ilbo’s endeavor to achieve free press. IPI also announced a statement in February, 1975, which informed the suppression of Donga Ilbo’s advertisement to the world press asking for support.

An IPI Korean committee official said, ``Although the government immediately refuted IPI’s statements on the Korean press as an intervention in Korean domestic affairs, the government’s official texts of the response do not remain.``

IPI did not pay attention to the Korean press from 1980 when the new military regime began till 1990’s Kim Young-Sam government. In response to this, an IPI Korean committee official said, ``IPI was not active in the 1980s due to its own internal conflict. Also, during that time, IPI Korean members did not report any case of press suppression to the IPI.``

The conflict between IPI and the government was rekindled when Hong Suk-Hyun, the former president of Joongang Ilbo, was detained in charge of tax evasion of Bokwang Company. IPI announced a statement that requested the discontinuance of Hong’s arrest by pointing out that tax probe and Hong’s arrest might lead to the press suppression. In response to IPI’s statement, Oh Hong-Keun, Minister of the GIA, sent a disputing letter to IPI. The government and IPI corresponded the letters of dispute twice including the case of Bokwang Company.

On February, 2000, when IPI announced a statement concerning the suppression of press in relation to the Choson Ilbo’s editorial, which hinted the wiretapping of those who were involved in the strike inducement of Korea Mint Corporation, and to the subsequent lawsuit against Choson Ilbo by 12 prosecutors, GIA immediately responded to IPI. Whenever IPI made announcement with regard to the suppression of free press in Korea, the government immediately disputed the IPI, saying that it was an intervention in the Korean domestic affairs.

Kim Cha-Su kimcs@donga.com