[Editorial] What Dong-A Promises as Voice of People

Koreans first read the modern newspaper on April 7, 112 years ago. It was Independence Daily. Commemorating the historic day, the Korea Newspaper Editors’ Association named it the Newspaper Day 52 years ago to promulgate the importance and role of free speech. The upcoming Newspaper Week (April 2–7) is to be celebrated under the catch phrase “Read the World, Open the Newspaper.” Yet another historical anniversary has come Wednesday: it is the 88th anniversary of the Dong-A Ilbo. To honor the birthday, we will help our readers understand the values we have been cherishing and pursuing in this editorial.

Newspapers carry out diverse roles in society. Among others, journalists shall protect the common values and provide open venues for various discourses and debates. The values we have emphatically promulgated and tried to enforce, as stressed repeatedly in the company mottos and editorials, square with the values pronounced in the Korean Constitution; namely, free democracy, market economy, advocacy for civil society and the rule of law. These values are the guiding lights showing us the shortcut to national advance and helping us promote the national interests and welfare. The history of the world and our own one attest to it.

The Korean Peninsula was torn apart in 1948 into the Republic of Korea in the South and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in the North. And it still remains as such. It is the most supreme obligation for all Koreans to unite the peninsula to one. But the unification matters only when the democratic government in the South takes the leading role in the process.

In 1920, one year after the historic March 1st Independence Movement, the Dong-A Ilbo was born to arouse Koreans to our values and face them against the Japanese rule. The Japanese colonial government oppressed and humiliated us from time to time. But we stood up and laid foundations for upcoming independence by organizing various movements such as encouragement of made-in-Korea products and the illiteracy campaign.

The occupying Japanese governors suspended the Dong-A four times, banned distribution 63 times, impounded Dong-A issues 489 times and deleted articles 2,423 times. The suppression reached its pinnacle when the Japanese government finally shut us down. After regaining independence from the Japanese occupation, the Dong-A Ilbo, as home of independent and democratic movements, struggled against the military regimes and their abuse of power to protect the freedom fighters. We are proud of the history.

Dong-A reporters never hesitated to criticize anybody that tried to disavow the values in our Constitution. Koreans sweated and dedicated themselves to national advance, and Korea has become the 10th largest economy in the world with democratic systems. The achievement came true in such a short amount of time, and people call it a miracle. If an individual or an entity attempts to belittle it or our country, we will stand up and fight to the end. We will not show equal treatment to those who try to sabotage freedom, free market and the rule of law, as we do to those who protect the values.

Preceding two administrations taught us how important and priceless the free speech means to us. The leftist Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations disparaged the historic struggle the Dong-A Ilbo had carried on through the dark ages in history. The two presidents further dared to smother free speech by taming newspapers and journalists. But we did not and will not back away in fear of abusive power. At the same time, we are always aware of the obligations and duties we have to abide by as the voice of the people. We promise to keep ourselves on guard all the time.

Our criticism is not only for socialist administrations. Despite our hope for successful five years for President Lee Myung-bak, when we believe his fledgling new administration does what should not be pursued, we will raise our voice. We have honored and will honor the supreme value that no administration, socialist or not, can deceive our citizens for their political interests. We will not let an incompetent leadership drain out our national resources and hinder the country’s advance.

To advance Korea to mature civic society and to win the global respect, we have to get rid of anachronistic institutions and thinking, and renew ourselves constantly. The Lee administration will not dodge arrows of our criticism if the administration, immersed in political selfishness, treats the power citizens have granted to them as spoils of war, protects the interests of particular groups, continues corrupt behaviors in the name of conservatism, and makes repeated mistakes out of arrogance and complacence.

As journalists, we promise to amuse our readers with accurate and useful contents, and journalist comments that touch the core of every social event. We further promise to approach our readers through diverse channels by actively coping with changes in an era when the walls between different media industries are crumbling down.

Journalism exists to check the abuses of power by those in power. All employees of the Dong-A Ilbo have never forgotten the principle and will not forget it. We will fight for the welfare of the people and the advancement of our nation.