56 Lawmakers of Opposition Parties Presented Resolution Urging for Release of Indicted Press Owners

56 lawmakers of the opposition parties including Rep. Park Jong-Wung of the Grand National Party presented a `Resolution to urge for the release of the press owners and the stoppage of the press suppression` to the National Assembly yesterday.

Rep. Park warned in the resolution, ``the anti-democratic and anti-historical press suppression of the government will drive the nation and the people into a disaster.`` and urged for the immediate release of the indicted press owners, the abandonment of the plot to remove the critical press and the intervention into the editorial right of the critical press, and stoppage of the financial suppression against the press companies, and the full guarantee of the press freedom.

The Special Committee For the Press Freedom of GNP fully confirmed to support the resolution and president Kim Jong-Pil of the United Liberal Democrats proposed and signed on the resolution. The resolution is likely to be passed by the Culture and Tourism Committee and the plenary session of the National Assembly since GNP and ULD that occupy over 50 percent of the seats are for the resolution.

The resolution was proposed and signed by 53 lawmakers of GNP including Reps. Kang Sam-Jae, Kim Jin-Jae, and Ha Soon-Bong, and 3 lawmakers of ULD.

Kim Jeong-Hun jnghn@donga.com