hankyoreh

Journalists fighting against the government’s escalated attempts to reform the media got some support from both the conservative and liberal parties yesterday. The battle over the freedom of the press, with the government claiming that media reforms will institute more efficient journalistic procedures and the media arguing that the government’s efforts will block their ability to monitor the government and gather essential information.

At a National Assembly meeting on Aug. 24, lawmakers of the main opposition Grand National Party strongly demanded that the government scrap its “plan for the modernization of media support,” which aims to consolidate the press rooms located at individual government ministries, into three main briefing centers.

On the same day, the pro-government United New Democratic Party expressed its opposition against the government’s plan. Lee Nak-yeon, a UNDP spokesman, said, “The government said it designed the plan to ‘support’ journalists, but journalists regard it as a ‘control.’ It’s not desirable for the government to unilaterally push ahead with the plan.”

The GNP also submitted a resolution to the National Assembly calling on the government to dismiss Kim Chang-ho, chief of the Government Information Agency, or GIA, which is leading the government’s media plan. In addition, the GNP decided to vote against the GIA’s allocation of 5.5 billion won (US$5.8 million), taken from an emergency budget held in reserve, to press room consolidation.

At the parliamentary meeting, GNP lawmakers strongly accused Kim Chang-ho, head of the GIA, of pushing ahead with the media plan. Some lawmakers described the plan as “governmental intimidation” or “media suppression.”

“A governmental official who speaks by telephone or meets with a journalist is required to notify the public relations department. It’s aimed at revealing news sources,” Rep. Jeong Byeong-gook said. “The plan will lead government officials lose touch with the public.”

Rep. Shim Jae-cheol criticized the government for spending the extra 5.5 billion won to move the media plan forward. “The extra funds are to be used for unexpected contingencies, such as natural disasters,” Shim said. “The government must scrap its plans to curb the freedom of the press.”

Some UNDP lawmakers have also joined the criticism. Rep. Jeon Byeong-heon said, “The main part of the ‘plan for the modernization of media support’ is not aimed at closing and scaling back press rooms, but improving the government’s control over information disclosure.” He continued, “To begin, the government should stop its secret policy-making process.”

Rep. Woo Sang-ho pointed out that the government’s plan would serve to discourage journalists from gathering information from primary sources, citing a code requiring government officials to report to their press departments before meeting with journalists.

Kim of the GIA said, “Though the press should monitor the government, a certain degree of tension between the two sides is needed.” He said the consolidated press rooms will be operational from September. “The ‘plan for the modernization of media support’ is not aimed at curbing the freedom of the press or information access, but letting journalists follow a process.

“The electronic ID card system for press rooms won’t be introduced if journalists oppose it,” Kim said. This plan, which would have required all journalists checking in and out of the new briefing rooms to carry electronic ID cards, is likely to be formally abandoned, following fierce opposition from journalists, who say that the requirement would infringe on their privacy and hamper their ability to gather information.