Government Prepared to Do Everything Necessary

On May 12, during an interview for the launching ceremony of a weekly media publication “Media Today,” Minister of Culture and Tourism Lee Chang-dong reconfirmed his intentions of supporting the All Paper, All Printing policy by stating, “The government is willing to do everything in its power to normalize circulation in the newspaper market.”

In “Media Today” issued this day, Minister Lee was quoted as saying, “Without an improvement in the circulation system, revolution of the press can not be achieved,” and added, “The All Paper, All Printing policy is a method the government sought within the framework of the existing law.”

The All Paper, All Printing service is a system for all newspaper companies to circulate their papers by establishing a joint supply firm. Currently, five companies including The Hankyoreh, The Kyunghyang Daily News, and The Kukmin Daily have been promoting this service by founding the “Korea Newspaper Service Company.”

After Minister Lee clarified his intention in April last year to finance the Culture Promotion Fund to participating companies of the All Paper, All Printing policy, he emphasized his support for the policy on several occasions, and was blamed that, “Financing government funds to the commercial activity of private newspaper companies can be seen as an attempt to cultivate a special newspaper.”

Regarding the controversial issue of restricting ownership of the press companies, which is one of the revised “Bill of Registration of Periodicals,” Minister Lee stated, “A formal restriction of ownership might even serve appearance purposes. It is a necessary condition (for revolution of the press) but not a sufficient one.”

During a customary briefing this day, the Ministry of Culture clarified that they are in the process of reviewing a plan to expand and reform the Bill of Registration of Periodicals as a “Comprehensive Media Promotion Bill.” This bill will include new plans such as granting the status of the press to the Internet medium.

Jin-Yeong Lee ecolee@donga.com