Beefing Up Press Control
By Cho Jae-hyon
City Editor
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the death of poet Kim Su-young (1921-1968), one of the most influential modern Korean poets.
Some of his unpublished poems and essays were recently unveiled. Among them is a poem, titled, ``Long Live Kim Il-sung,'' which was written in October 1960, the year when autocratic Syngman Rhee stepped down in the wake of the April 19 Revolution.
As a supporter of the students who led the uprising against the dictator, Kim struggled against those who opposed and suppressed press freedom before and after the Revolution.
In the poem, he observes that: ``Long live Kim Il-sung/ Korea's press freedom starts with the acknowledgement of this/ And it would be completed with the acknowledgement of this...''
The profane poem saw the light of day more than 40 years after the poet's death. It illustrates the avant-garde poet wanted to break the biggest taboo to break free the press from the then authoritarian regime. Where there is no press freedom, there is no literature, said the poet.
His message still resonates in the current Korean society that seems on the verge of implosion with conflicts among vested interest groups compounded by acute ideological clashes.
Two months into the candlelit rallies against the resumption of American beef, the established newspapers and broadcasting companies are witnessing a striking and undeniable change in the media industry.
Daum's Agora and other Web sites where citizens shared information about the Washington-Seoul beef deal proved that the Internet could be an immense force for democracy on a scale nobody has ever dreamed of.
It was a rude wake-up call for both the government and established media heavyweights. In the ``Republic of Internet,'' citizens ruled. They themselves were reporters, editors and readers simultaneously, each citizen being an independent media source.
Novelist Lee Mun-yol, one of the most influential conservative right-wing writers, summed up the rallies succinctly, calling them ``great but horrible Internet populism.'' He said the mob in the rallies have nothing to do with freedom of speech but the instigation of civil commotion.
To block broadcasting firms from instigating protests, the writer advocated the government's overtaking the control tower of the broadcasters. As the government is entitled to exercise its right as one of shareholders of public broadcasting companies, it has the right to field top managers with whom it shares the same political ideology at broadcasting firms, Lee said.
Boosted by growing calls from conservative groups for a crackdown on left-leaning protestors, the Lee Myung-bak administration is pressing to tame trouble-making Internet portals and broadcasting companies.
Prosecutors are investigating MBC TV's ``PD Notebook,'' an investigative program that triggered candlelit vigils, for alleged intentional distortion or exaggeration of facts about mad cow disease. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC), a media policy-setting agency, banned Internet users from campaigning against companies placing ads in conservative newspapers. Police are monitoring the Internet more closely and President Lee has decided to appoint a secretary to oversee online public opinions.
Some more heads will roll in the process of the scrutiny of media firms that are controlled by liberals or leftists.
Lee's approval rating recently rose to above 20 percent from a low of 12 percent, boosted by harsh crackdown on candlelit protestors. He needs some magic solution to push it higher.
If broadcasting firms are put under his control, it would provide a huge leverage for him to reverse the direction of popularity rate. The Internet should also be put under tighter scrutiny and rumormongers on Web sites need to be sanctioned.
But is it necessary to cast a chill on freedom of speech? It's okay to target violent demonstrations. Violence, whether from police or demonstrators, must be gone from the streets. But targeting opinions is unwise.
Around mid-June when the candlelit vigil was at its peak, President Lee admitted that he has not been communicating well enough with the public. Several weeks later, however, his administration is trying to quell opinions against his administration.
The Internet became an important media for the people who disagree with the government to have their own freedom of expression respected. Anybody now can go online and express their opinions. Any moves to limit freedom of speech will be challenged.
Advice from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is worthy of note. Commenting on candlelit rallies while visiting here over the weekend, she said that noisy democracy is better than quiet dictatorship.
Lee does not need to control the media but to communicate with the people.