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Government reins in scholars' tongues in media on Sewol tragedy
Professor from Mokpo National Maritime University, right, joins a news program covering the Sewol tragedy. / Courtesy of Channel A
By Ko Dong-hwan
By Ko Dong-hwan
The government is allegedly seeking to prevent learned professors from participating in media exposure and providing expertise regarding the Sewol tragedy, NoCut News said Tuesday.
The allegation developed as it was found that professors with reputation in maritime fields collectively stopped providing their opinions to news reporters since Monday.
The scholars’ words, considered to have contributed some significant insights to unveiling controversial problems behind the tragedy, have been quoted by various news media outlets since the accident occurred.
But on the sixth day of the tragedy, as if a coincidence, they became silent.
The report cited teaching assistants from Mokpo National Maritime University and Seoul National University, whom it came across trying to reach professors. Both said the professors were unavailable.
As to reasons, one said there was a dilemma at present, while the other said the professor doesn’t feel like doing an interview.
The report quoted a professor as saying this simultaneous silence is caused by the government’s intervention. He said they must be emotionally forced to remain silent. This is because once they publicly spill words which could lead to discovering new facts about the tragedy, it could create problems for the government’s intelligence agency.
The potential governmental intervention raises doubt whether it is a revival of the media suppression conducted by the nation’s archaic military government from '60s to '80s.