Inappropriate Act

It's Nonsense to Manipulate Public Opinion

Government officials used to wage publicity campaigns to divert public attention from misrule under the authoritarian leadership in the 1970s-80s. It is now anachronistic for them to resort to such misguided campaigns to turn the tables in their favor. However, a presidential official has revived the specter of the outdated practice.

It was discovered Friday that the official sent an e-mail to public relations staff at the National Police Agency, telling them to highlight a recent serial murder case to distract people's attention from a Yongsan fire tragedy. How could such a thing happen in a democratic society? It is nonsense that there exists a civil servant who believes the manipulation of public opinion is still possible.

Some people may go too far in speculating that the police announced the arrest of the serial killer to hush public criticism over a police crackdown on tenants who opposed a redevelopment project in Yongsan, central Seoul. Five protesting tenants and a police officer were killed in the fire during the police raid on Jan. 20.

Last week, the prosecution cleared the police of any charges of a brutal crackdown. It said the tenants, who were staging a sit-in in the rooftop structure of a four-story building, were blamed for the deadly blaze. However, public opinion has turned against the law enforcement authorities and the Lee Myung-bak government, with critics claiming they were responsible for the incident.

In this regard, the presidential official must have felt the urge to make the most of the high-profile murder case to calm mounting voices against the government in the aftermath of the fire deaths. What's more disappointing was the handling of the publicity scandal. The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae initially denied the sending of the e-mail in question.

Only after the e-mail was made public did Cheong Wa Dae admit to the scandal and issue a verbal reprimand against the official. And it said the incident was an ``inappropriate act" by the official, who conveyed his ``personal ideas" to the police. But it is not a thing to be dismissed as a personal mistake. Political parties and civic groups criticized the government for trying to cover up its systematic attempt to manipulate public opinion.

The main opposition Democratic Party is calling for the appointment of an independent counsel to thoroughly investigate the case. Government officials should pay heed to this demand so that they can dispel any suspicions about the scandal and restore public trust. They must not forget that we are not living in an Orwellian ``Big Brother" society, in which the state can control the ideas of the people.