Cheong Wa Dae Requests Ministries Submit Daily Report

Choeng Wa Dae was reported on Thursday to have ordered government ministries and agencies to release press statements after sorting them into five categories.

According to sources, the Office of the President sent a notice to each ministry and agency, which asked them to classify the press releases into 5 categories: positive, simple fact, sound criticism, ill-intended criticism, and false report, and fax the information between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. every day.

Policy-related ministries or agencies will report to the office for policy planning; foreign affairs, unification, and defense ministries to the National Security Council; and the Justice Ministry will send their statements to the office for public information or office for civil affairs. The public information office will then compile all the reports in order to brief the president.

"Until now Choeng Wa Dae maintained the task of classifying press releases and sometimes contacted ministries if necessary, but to increase efficiency, Cheong Wa Dae is asking for the classification of press releases following the existing form,” an spokesperson from the office for policy planning said.

"We set up a taskforce to respond to false reports related to ministries and agencies,” Jeong Soo-gyun, vice chief of the Government Information Agency, told a group of reporters. “There are no problems in responding to incorrect reports."

In an office for public information briefing on March 12, President Roh ordered each ministry and agency to report to Cheong Wa Dae on how they would respond to incorrect information on a case-by-case basis.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com