Defense Ministry Closes Pressroom
By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
The Defense Ministry cut electricity to its pressroom at midnight on Saturday to get reporters to leave it as part of the government's media policy.
Public relations officers of the ministry told journalists a few minutes before 12 a.m. on Sunday to move out of the pressroom, and made journalists' press cards invalid starting Dec. 16. The ministry had informed them that it would close the pressroom Saturday.
Eighteen reporters, who occupied the pressroom from Saturday night to resist the ministry's request, stayed until late Sunday, working by candlelight.
The reporters stayed in the pressroom as long as they could because once they leave the ministry they won't be able to reenter with the non-valid press cards.
A ministry official said, ``The ministry can't provide reporters with any services until they move to the new central pressroom of the ministry.'' The official added that reporters will not be able to enter the ministry until they start operating the new system.
Some reporters who requested entry to the ministry on Sunday morning were rejected.
The ministry built a new pressroom in a separate building within the ministry complex, which began operation on Nov. 1. However, the press corps of the ministry refused to move to the new one, saying the government's policy violated freedom of the press.
President Roh Moo-hyun has sought what he calls media reform by creating a central pressroom after closing all other government pressrooms. He wants to abolish the press corps system where each ministry or agency runs its own pressroom.
However, journalists, scholars and politicians at home and abroad opposed the media policy. Most presidential candidates have promised to restore the pressroom system if elected.
The National Police Agency in Seoul closed its pressroom on Wednesday night. In-mid October, pressrooms of the foreign affairs and trade, education and human resources development, unification, and information and communication ministries were closed.