Assemblywoman Criticizes Agency Consultation Process

The Government Information Agency allegedly determined when and how ministries and government organizations should prepare government press releases through a prior consultation process.

Most organizations heeded the advice of the Government Information Agency according to Assemblywoman Park Chan-sook of the Grand National Party, who studied the papers handed in by the agency.

The agency adamantly maintains that the prior consultation process is only a consultation process designed to improve the effectiveness of the government’s promotion efforts. Many believe that since the government rates the public relations efforts of government organizations, the process goes beyond just consultation and is in effect closer to control.

Most decisions reflect the agency’s advice-

The Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry sent the Government Information Agency a copy of its policy advertisement titled “The power of our livestock industry” on April 13.

After doing this, the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry sent the agency two versions of their advertisements and two more versions of advertisements with the agency’s recommended changes. The agency recommended one version and another with the agency’s recommended changes. In the end, the ministry chose the version with the agency’s suggested recommendations.

The Customs Service sent a version of its “Improving Customs Service” pamphlet on April 20 during the prior consultation process. It focused on its efforts to uphold the customs service, work to improve the trade environment, and to regulate against counterfeit goods.

The Government Information Agency suggested that the Customs Service should include information on how the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement improved the trade environment. The Customs Service implemented the agency’s advice and remade its advertisement.

“Put the analyses in front”-

During the prior consultation process, the agency gives other government organizations advice on how to draft press releases and how to prevent criticism from the media.

Last October, when the Ministry of Construction & Transportation released press releases on relocating government organizations to other provinces and developing innovation cities, the Government Information Agency requested that it highlight that the development will start in September 2007 in Daegu and Ulsan and that it present how it will deal with speculative investors in order to prevent criticism.

When the Ministry of Science & Technology was preparing to announce the “2006 Science and Engineering Indicators” in January this year, the agency again suggested that the ministry focus less on the evaluation itself and instead stress the ranking changes of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations.

It also suggested that the ministry place OECD nation comparisons in front of the press release and place content on criteria in the back. It also suggested that the ministry examine how it can co-promote government’s Vision 2030 program.

When the National Tax Service was preparing to announce that it would open loopholes exclusive to high-paying and honest taxpayers and their families, the agency gave suggestions once again. It suggested that in order to fend off possible media criticism that the government gives benefits to only high-paying taxpayers, that the National Tax Service stress that the previous loopholes for high-paying taxpayers did not get much use.

“Control in the name of consultation”-

“The prior consultation process is in effect a way for the Government Information Agency to control other government organizations,” said Assemblywoman Park.

“How would other government organizations be able to resist taking the advice when the government rates how well organizations do during these consultations?” asked Assemblywoman Park. “When the Government Information Agency goes so far as to direct how press releases should be drafted, this means there is much more than ‘consultation’ going on.”

At the moment, local government organizations do not need to go through a prior consultation process. In the electronic-PR system maintained by Government Information Agency, Seoul Metropolitan City along with 16 local district governments are listed among the government organizations that must go through the consultation process. This is very telling of what the Government Information Agency wishes to do in the future.

“Just this year, ministries, committees, and organizations such as the Association Special Post Office (affiliate of the Ministry of Information and Communication) and 88 Tourism Development (affiliate of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs) have been included on the list of organizations that must go through the prior consultation process,” said Assemblywoman Park. “This means that the government wishes to meddle with the promotional activities of all government organizations.”

sys1201@donga.com