Call Issued for Complete Withdrawal of Reporting Support System

The Korean Newspaper Editors Association held an emergency steering committee meeting at the Korea Press Center located in Seoul on August 30. The committee adopted a resolution calling for a complete withdrawal of the government’ press reform measure, which was allegedly designed to advance and support the reporting system. The resolution regards the measure as control of the press, which is more sinister than the intervention of former military governments.

Byeon Yong-shik, chairman of the association, said, “We have gathered today to protect the freedom of the press. Our meeting comes 48 years since we gathered on April 30, 1959 to oppose the shut down of Kyunghyang Newspaper (The closure was the decision of the government back then). We should put our efforts together to protect press freedom regardless of ideology and party lines.”

The association was established on April 7, 1957 and has 1,500 members from 55 media outlets. Most of them are media executives. The steering committee includes directors of major media companies.

The participating directors agreed in a resolution, “We can no longer accept the current conflict caused by the government’s unilateral measures to control reporting. We have confirmed that all the measures the government is preparing have the same purpose: to prevent journalists from having access to government-held information. We consider it a serious violation of press freedom.”

The government’s intention is to use information only to its advantage. The press is supposed to be public’s eyes and ears. The measure aims to dictate the way reporters’ interview and write news, which definitely goes against freedom of the press as stipulated in the Constitution.

After unanimously adopting the resolution, the association agreed to form an ad hoc sub-committee to come up with solution as soon as possible unless the government withdraws the measure.

salthj@donga.com