[Editorial] Is This `Reform of Press`?

If one traces back an unprecedented case in which arrest warrants for media owners are issued, it coincides with President Kim Dae-Jung`s new year`s press conference. President Kim said on January 11th that ``as people have voiced for the press reform, the press circle, academic circle, civic organizations, and the National Assembly should prepare for the transparent and fair media reform together.``

This profound statement was revealed to have targeted major newspaper firms which have been critical of the government. This can be proved in the two-fold process of the situation. First, so-called the `Red Guards` were implied in the President`s new year`s address. `Red Guards` have stood in front of denouncing the newspaper firms that have been targeted by the government, and criticizing the owners. The address was forecasting that some of the press firms, civic organizations, and the academic circle would raise so-called the flag of the press reform.

Second, after the President`s address, the National Tax Service (NTS) and the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) began tax investigation and fair trade investigation on the press firms. Saying that `investigation has nothing to do with the President`s address`, each institution has said that they separately launched a regular investigation according to `law and principles`. However, frankly speaking, not only workers of the NTS and the KFTC but also people and the world media organizations did not believe that. Various public opinions, statements of intellectuals and the elder group have pointed out that each investigation was a means to tame the newspapers.

As it was anticipated, the prosecution requested arrest warrants for five media owners. The bottom line of media reform is revealed, which intended to confine the media owners by berating them as `conservative privileged group` and `shameless tax evaders`. We know that taming of the press would not stop here. The opposition party is already issuing a statement that says that ``let the media owners appropriate a large amount of additional collection by selling shares. Change the owner in accordance with the changes in shareholding, and subjugate the press through the financial pressure.``

A frightening situation is coming up. If the press keeps quiet and takes wait-and-see approach toward the government, how can democracy exist? The characteristic of the press is the critical function, and the `healthy` tense relationship between the press and the power based on the press`s critical function is the salt of liberal democratic society. Who would not know how the power, by its attribute, has retaliated and suppressed the press, disguising its desire with law and principles? We will clearly record various features of press suppression, which are taking place now.