Election Interview Ban Criticized

Criticism is mounting over the National Election Commission (NEC)`s demand for the media to stop running articles about interviews with leading presidential candidates by August next year. Many accuse NEC of violating the people`s right to know.

The NEC demanded in a document sent to this paper on December 14 that Dong-A Ilbo stop interviewing promising presidential hopefuls and other candidates altogether because they breached Public Official Election regulations.

In addition, the NEC is set to forward official documents containing similar demands to major newspapers, broadcasting companies, and internet news services today. The NEC also plans to announce specific criteria for interview articles which are acceptable within the framework of the election regulations by this weekend.

The NEC`s judgment is based on Article 82 of the Public Official Election and Election Rigging Prevention Law, which stipulates that the media can have interviews and panel discussions starting 120 days before the presidential election.

The NEC insisted that an interview by a journalist is a violation of the election code, as Article 81 of the law defines candidates answering questions from a moderator or an interviewer as having an interview at a wrong time. It also said that a journalist can report accompanying a candidate, but is not allowed to visit the office and have an interview.

If the same logic is applied, however, reporters are banned from having interviews with candidates until August 21 next year, or 120 days before the election on December 19. Candidates will not be able to hold a press conference in their offices or a third place, either.

Experts said that the commission has overly interpreted the election code and violated the public`s right to know. Kim Sang-gyeom at Dongkuk University said that interviews with presidential candidates should be respected as the media`s own realm of coverage, and that representative democracy is upheld when candidates` opinions are transmitted to the public correctly.

tesomiom@donga.com yongari@donga.com