[Editorial] To Be at the Center of Communication

Today, Dong-A Ilbo marks its 84th anniversary. The weight of the future appears to be several times as heavy as it was in the past in which we rushed on and on under the banner of “Argue for Justice, Write Straightforwardly.” This is because the realities the press and this country are facing are accordingly more difficult and complex.

They often say the frame of consciousness and reference has now changed. The values and norms that have defined our ideas and behaviors in the past century are being challenged before a torrent of change. Ideology has become tattered. Authority has become a drag. Representative democracy, the very foundation of constitutionalism, appears to be overwhelmed by populism. Emotion comes ahead of reason. Unrefined language twists and paralyzes our consciousness.

However, change must not be overlooked or feared. Globalization and “informationization” are irreversible, age-defining trends. There is no room for the irrationality, opaqueness, and inefficiency of the analog age. Although the speed of change is very fast and creates considerable side effects, it is our duty to creatively overcome it.

Dong-A would like to faithfully turn the changes of the age into the driving force for national prosperity. Through fairer and better-balanced news coverage and criticism, Dong-A will lead and channel changes. It will try its best to connect changes with the happiness of each individual of the country. Eighty-three years ago, when Dong-A was launched under the slogan of nationalism, democracy, and civilization to accomplish the spirit of the March 1, 1919 Uprising, it was a change and an innovation.

What should be guarded against is the superficial and malicious current. Change comes in many forms. However, irresponsible and extreme agitations must not be tolerated. That is the enemy of liberal democracy and the market economy. Liberal democracy and the market economy are the values we haven’t abandoned in our long and hard march toward modernization and democratization that was marred by national division and war. For any reason, these values must not be damaged. Strategy for national prosperity and individuals’ lives should be debated and built on this foundation. The rule of law is the fortress for it. The diversity of opinion and freedom of expression should be respected, but law shouldn’t be ignored or denied. When the rule of law goes down, it will go down with society.

The polarization of society since the launch of the Roh Moo-hyun government has become more than a matter of great concern. The entire country is divided into pro- and anti-reform camps. One force is called conscientious progressive and the other corrupt conservative. The polarization has given rise to a very dangerous tendency to use law like an instrument in the interest of one force against the other.

The basic tenets of genuine liberal democracy are to admit that there are differences among us. Pseudo-democracy, which antagonizes different people for different views or ideas, must not take root. The distinction between conservatives and progressives is outdated. There only exist different individuals’ different opinions, depending on the situation. Is he conservative or progressive if he admits the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance while he opposes the Korean military intervention in Iraq? It is a useless distinction. The only criteria are national interest and the common good.

Dong-A will reject any extremes. It will pursue the sound and reasonable value of the correct cause, which will be the first step towards a pluralist democratic society where we can admit that we can be different from each other. The extreme right and the extreme left are all a barrier to national unity and prosperity.

In this respect, the May 15 National Assembly elections gain their importance. This is because they offer an excellent opportunity to get rid of obsolete politics and change the country. The foundation of representative democracy must be re-established through the non-deflected expression of the public will.

About 70 percent of the people reportedly oppose the impeachment of the president by the National Assembly. However, who elected the lawmakers? It’s the people. Instead of demanding the legislation recall lawmakers, they should cast their votes based on their reason and conscience in order to elect good lawmakers. There should be no post-election regrets, which often lead to antipathy toward politics. Dong-A will be on full alert to ensure fair and clean elections.

Ultimately, the press is held responsible for communication. It should contribute to social unity by making talks and ideas flow seamlessly. In this age of change and chaos, Dong-A will stand at the center of communication. With the spirit of impartiality, Dong-A will listen to what it has to listen to and say what it wants to say to spearhead the construction of a proud community where we will become one after overcoming divisions and conflict.