[Opinion] “I Hate the Communist Party”

One of the slang words used in the media is “vinegar.” This refers to giving prominence to a specific detail in an article and depicting it dramatically. The phrase “vinegared well” often means the article was written in an appealing way. An example of a “vinegared article” that is passed down as a media legend is the November 1963 coverage of the arrival of the Joseon Dynasty’s last crown prince King Youngchin (Lee Eun). It was reported that Lee Eun said, “The wind is as cold as the day I left. This is my land indeed,” as he came back after 55 years, but actually he was barely able to speak then due to an illness.

So far, the media has been regarding the Chosun Ilbo report on Lee Seung-bok, a boy who was killed on December 1968 by armed North Koreans, as another example of a “vinegared article.” It is said that when the Chosun Ilbo article on Lee Seung-bok saying, “I hate the Communist Party” came out, journalists from other newspapers were reprimanded for not being able to write such an article. Then in 1992, it was claimed that this was a “false and fabricated article,” and from that point, debates were started on the authenticity of the Lee Seung-bok incident. A “vinegared article” and a “false report” are definitely different.

A few days ago, a Chosun Ilbo reporter confirmed that the article was a “true report from the reporter’s on-scene coverage.” The decision of the Superior Court is still pending, but with this revelation, the controversy that has ongoing for more than 10 years is settled for now. However, bitterness will remain. In a narrow perspective, I feel sorry for the pain that Lee Seung-bok’s family must have went through because of the controversy on the authenticity of the statement, “I hate the Communist Party,” and in a wider perspective, it is lamentable to think that in our society, the wrong claim that “Lee Seung-bok has been made up” has been accepted as truth.

I take this chance to think about what a journalist is. In media studies, a journalist is a “fact-finding specialist.” When the Lee Seung-bok incident occurred, a reporter from Chosun Ilbo found and reported the phrase “I hate the Communist Party.” Although he was unable to witness the scene himself, the reporter took a further step by gathering information from the surroundings, an act which would later become the center of controversy. The important point here is “intention.” A “vinegared article” can be forgiven as long as objectivity is maintained in the process of passing on information. Then, is the intention of the party that claimed the article’s fabrication genuine?

Song Moon-hong, Editorial Writer, songmh@donga.com