Major S. Korean newspapers in flux under new administration

Posted on : 2008-04-09 12:07 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Changes in editorial position reflect shift in political landscape, desire for individuality and power

Are South Korea’s three major newspapers going a different way under the Lee Myung-bak administration? The Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo have been critical of previous governments in their reports and editorials, but their editorial positions seem to be changing these days, presenting different views of the major polices and political moves made by the Lee administration, which took office on February 25. Chosun seems to be distancing itself from the incumbent government, while the other two are being more friendly toward it.

A case in point is their different views regarding the cross-country waterway project, one of the key campaign pledges made by President Lee Myung-bak. In several editorials both before and after Lee’s inauguration, Chosun was clearly opposed to the waterway project. In contrast, both Dong-A and JoongAng took a more ambiguous stance on the issue. Both papers stopped short of making a clear statement about the waterway project, and it was only when other newspapers, including The Hankyoreh, alleged that the government had been covertly pushing for it that either one carried a small number of editorials regarding the questions that had been raised about the project.

The two newspapers’ pro-government stance is also evident in their reports about Choi Si-joong, a close aide to the president, who was nominated as the head of the broadcasting and communications commission. In editorials in both newspapers following the day of Choi’s appointment, both newspapers said that they had high expectations for the new chairman. In an article printed on page 10 of its March 27 edition, Dong-A carried a story titled “Barriers between newspapers, broadcasting and communications to be removed,” while JoongAng carried an article subtitled “Going into the global era by lifting barriers between broadcasting and communications.” Chosun, by contrast, covered the story in a short article on its second page.

All three newspapers also had different views of the recent changes in corporate investment policy in their April 3 articles. JoongAng and Dong-A covered the story on their front pages the titles “Investment sees revival thanks to the ‘MB effect’” and “Reviving investment.” MB refers to initials of President Lee Myung-bak’s first name. Chosun carried a short piece about the issue in its economy section.

Kim Seo-joong, a professor at SungKongHoe University, interpreted the change in the Chosun’s stance since the Lee administration took office as a strategic choice to differentiate itself from the other two newspapers, believing that a pro-government attitude could give the impression that it has a close relationship with the government. The professor said that the government’s pro-business policy dovetails with the JoongAng’s stance, which has caused the newspaper to cover the administration in a more positive light. While Dong-A is moving in the same direction, it appears intent on maximizing the benefits that it can receive as a politically-powerful entity, the professor said.

Park Byung-gyu, a media analyst, sees Chosun’s “going its own way” as an effort to appeal to conservative forces. “Chosun seems to have learned a lesson from its long-held pro-government stance that it should keep its distance from the incumbent administration, while Dong-A is demonstrating the intention of using its ‘king-maker’ status to expand its media influence,” he said.

Still, some dismiss the idea that there is a difference between the three publications, saying that it is too early to talk about any changes in the political leanings of the three newspapers. Choi Kyung-jin, a professor at the Catholic University of Daegu, said, “Chosun has been maintaining a pro-business stance, especially regarding the Samsung scandal and other big issues ... We cannot say for certain that Chosun is keeping a distance from the government by analyzing articles from just the past one or two months.”

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