hankyoreh

A coalition of civic, religious, and groups holds a press conference outside the Chosun Ilbo on Mar. 5 to denounce the newspaper’s past 100 years of false reporting and its support for imperial Japan during the colonial occupation. The photo shows an installation that displays front page editions of the Chosun Ilbo on toilet paper rolls. (Lee Jeong-a, staff photographer)

The Chosun Ilbo newspaper, which has billed itself as a “guardian of the truth,” is facing a barrage of criticisms calling on it to “put an end to its disgraceful 100-year history of anti-national, anti-democratic, and anti-peace reporting” as it celebrates its centennial.

On Mar. 5, the Chosun Ilbo embarked on a large-scale promotion campaign, including the publication of a 100-page “inaugural special” along with a self-congratulatory front-page editorial in which the newspaper pledged to “become a small but unfailing beacon, just like that cold and windy day 100 years ago.”

But the coalition Citizens’ Action to Put an End to the Chosun Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo’s 100-Year History of Lies and Betrayal, which includes 57 media, civic and religious groups, held a press conference at Wonpyo Park next to the Chosun Ilbo’s building in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square that day to call on the newspaper to reflect and apologize, insisting that the “lies and betrayals that have persisted for 100 years must come to an end now.”

In its press conference statement that day, Citizens’ Action said, “The Chosun Ilbo bowed to imperial Japan during the occupation and to dictatorships during the military government period, cooperating with and serving unjust powers, and at every critical moment faced by the Korean nation and South Korean people, it has shown how cravenly it betrays its homeland.”

“Now it has acquired its own authority and is misleading public opinion with its distortions of the facts and truth,” it continued.

The members also denounced the Chosun Ilbo for never officially apologizing for forcibly dismissing 32 journalists on Mar. 6, 1975, for their participation in free press campaigns, and never reinstating them.

“We believe that even the young reporters within the Chosun Ilbo are recognizing their historical mission and changing in response to the public’s cries to put an end to a 100-year history of disgrace,” said Seong Han-pyo, chair of the Chosun Struggle Committee to Protect a Free Press.

Oh Jeong-hoon, chair of the National Union of Mediaworkers (NUMW), said, “The Chosun Ilbo has disparaged calls for democratization and taken the side of chaebols in disregarding workers. Its members must face reality and engage in proper reporting.”

NUMW also called for press reforms in its own separate statement that day, describing the “end of the Chosun Ilbo’s 100 years of vices as the first step in restoring trust in the press.” Eleven industry unions, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), also issued statements pledging to continue battling for media reforms alongside conscientious journalists and civil society “until the day the Chosun and Dong-A have been put to an end.” They also displayed banners with messages at 100 locations nationwide urging reflection on the Chosun Ilbo’s “disgraces” over the past century.

Also presented that day was a list of the “10 worst Chosun Ilbo reports of the past 100 years” compiled by Citizens’ Action with the group Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media. The list included praise for the imperial Japanese family, large-scale celebration of the Japanese Emperor’s birthday, support for Park Chung-hee’s Yushin dictatorship, praise for Gwangju massacre perpetrator Chun Doo-hwan, concealment of a sexual torture and human rights violation incident in Bucheon, and false reporting on the Peace Dam.

“Chosun Ilbo 100 Years Ago,” an installation by Oh Jong-seon, also drew attention. Rolls of toilet paper were used to present copies of the Chosun Ilbo’s yearly Jan. 1 front-page issues from the Japanese occupation, which showed photographs of the Emperor and his wife along with a Japanese flag over the title.

Meanwhile, the social engagement project association You and I planned to hold a live online broadcast denouncing the Chosun Ilbo on Mar. 6 under the title “Abolish the Worst Century Right Now.”

By Moon Hyun-sook, media correspondent