Press Rooms at Five Ministries to be Closed

Press rooms at the Prime Minister`s Office, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs located at the Central Government Complex located in Sejong-ro, Seoul will be closed, and instead a press center will be newly set up on the 4th floor of a separate building in the complex.

The Korean Information Service (KIS) notified the five ministries of the plan in a meeting held the morning of April 9 and heard responses from the ministries.

The new press center will include a large and small briefing room with four rooms (each 35 pyong) for article transmission, as well as an administration room, lounge and camera room.

It is reported that it will take about two to three months before the new press center is opened.

When the new press center is set up in a separate building at the complex, journalists will have less access to those major ministries, possibly stirring up some controversy over the limited freedom of press.

An official from the government said, “After the new press center is established, it will be difficult to impose any restrictions on the press for a certain period of time or request off-the-record briefing sessions anymore.”

Dong-Ki Sung esprit@donga.com