Former Korea Times Managing Editor Hong Soon-il dies at 92

Hong Soon-il, former managing editor of The Korea Times, a highly respected figure in media circles known for his integrity and journalistic acumen, died on Friday. He was 92.

An eloquent writer and a seasoned editor, Hong was also an outstanding interviewer. He is particularly remembered for conducting interviews with six leaders of Southeast Asia in just three weeks during the turbulent 1970s.

His series of dialogues with prominent leaders such as Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, Suharto of Indonesia, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Kukrit Pramoj of Thailand, Lon Nol of Cambodia, and Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam, published by both The Korea Times and its Korean-language sister paper Hankook Ilbo, provided a timely overview of a region undergoing political and economic transitions in the aftermath of a decade-long Indochina conflict.

Hong embarked on this tour, during which he also met the acting heads of the governments of Malaysia and Laos, in September 1974, shortly after concluding his tenure as the managing editor of The Korea Times. His departure from the editorship, following seven years of service, stemmed from an unfortunate incident that underscored media interference by the then-authoritarian government.

The Korea Times had published Op-Ed columns in which two foreign contributors deplored the country's transformation into a destination for "sex-oriented international tourism." Some Korean-language papers translated and quoted those sardonic articles, sparking criticism of the government for seemingly tolerating the distorted tourism business under the guise of boosting foreign exchange earnings.

Hong and an editorial page editor were summoned to the media oversight office of the then omnipotent (Korean) Central Intelligence Agency and had to endure an interrogation that lasted all night for allegedly harming Korea's national prestige. No criminal charges were filed, but the agency asked the publisher of The Korea Times to remove Hong from the editorial position.

He was later reappointed as an editorial writer for the Hankook Ilbo and was assigned a special task — to embark on a Southeast Asian tour to interview national leaders. Concluding the series of interviews, Hong filed a lengthy commentary on the final days of the Thieu government of South Vietnam crumbling under corruption, dictatorship and military ineptitude.

That article irked the authorities in Seoul who believed that he was criticizing the Korean government by equating it with the situation in Saigon. Hankook Ilbo's publisher, managing editor and layout editor were interrogated by the KCIA on what prompted the article to run. Hong had to postpone his return to Korea and stayed in Tokyo for weeks until the dust settled.

Eventually, he was given a job at a publishing venture invested by the Hankook Ilbo. In the following years, Hong served as president of Kwanhun Club, a fraternity of senior journalists, and went on to chair a journalism support fund created with donations chiefly from the Hyundai Group and operated by the club. He took part in the Center for International Affairs Fellowship at Harvard University from 1977 to 1978.

A native of Seoul, Hong graduated from Gyeonggi High School and the College of Engineering at Seoul National University. He joined The Korea Times in 1954 as a proofreading desk reporter while attending college. He became the daily's political desk editor in 1961 and was promoted to managing editor in 1967.

The three decades during which Hong was involved with the English-language newspaper were marked by a period of resistance and struggle for political liberty, determined individual and national efforts for economic progress, and a shifting of people's mindsets. Creating a newspaper primarily for international communication meant continual encounters with prejudice, noncooperation, and navigating through financial challenges and uncertainties.

During the formative and developmental years of The Korea Times, Hong and his colleagues operated in a social environment that was often more challenging than what it is today. Their legacy of journalistic integrity, unwavering in the face of external challenges and temptations, established a tradition of resilience in Korea's English-language media. This legacy should now serve as a source of confidence for future generations as they navigate the uncertainties brought about by technological advancements.

Hong died of pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, who was his high-school sweetheart, a daughter and a son, Prof. Hong Yong-pyo of Hanyang University who served as the minister of unification (2015-2017). Suh Seung-hwan, former Yonsei University president and former minister of Land and Transportation, is his son-in-law. Hong will be buried at Gwangneung Cemetery in Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday.

Kim Myong-sik worked under Hong Soon-il at The Korea Times from 1965 and served as its managing editor from 1994-1997. – Ed.