By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The government and Internet users are clashing over the latter's campaign to boycott companies running ads in conservative newspapers that are critical of the candlelit vigils against American beef imports.
Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han and prosecutors said Monday that the authorities will strengthen its monitoring of the campaign and take legal action against netizens acting illegally. While many accuse Kim of violating consumers or readers' rights, some defend him for protecting the media from ``groundless accusations.''
About 2,000 netizens visited the ministry and the prosecution's Web sites and said ``I come clean that I am the one who held the campaign. I cannot stand the papers. If this is a real crime, then come and put me in jail,'' or ``I have never participated in the vigil nor the boycott but the government made me realize it's time I do.''
The dispute started when groups of netizens launched a campaign to boycott the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-a Ilbo newspapers, the three biggest media outlets in the country. The three were also labeled as conservative papers that defend U.S. beef import resumption, and criticize the candlelit vigils as being controlled by communists or leftists.
The government announcement came after netizens held a campaign encouraging people to stop subscribing to the newspapers and pressurizing companies to stop running ads in the papers.
A Chosun Ilbo official complained some people threatened or swore at the marketing staff.
``Some said they would come and attack me or even harm my family if we keep our ads in the papers because it is such a dishonor,'' a staff member at a snack company said.
Tens of companies reportedly announced that they would indeed drop the advertising contract because they ``listen to consumers' voices.'' According to the Journalists Association of Korea, the number of large corporations' ads printed in the three papers dropped from 12-15 per issue to 2-4.
The dailies filed a complaint with the Broadcasting and Communications Commission and other government departments. The commission will determine whether the boycott campaign is legal or not. For its part, the ministry said Friday that it will do its best to stop ``illegal and violent'' behavior.
The ministry's move has drawn protest from netizens. Through Friday to Sunday, the number of people participating in the candlelit vigil against beef imports and President Lee Myung-bak jumped. Some online community members held up signs alleging the papers manipulated political and administrative power.
``They are the readers and consumers of the papers and the products; and it is their right to choose what they want to read and what not to ― advertisements are also part of the papers,'' the Korean Internet Journalists Association representative Lee June-hee said.
``If they do not like the paper then they should boycott the paper only; but intervening in the PR process of a company is a different issue,'' media critic Byun Hee-jae said.
The boycott is now moving in a new direction; netizens are promoting companies who gave up putting advertisements in the three. Samyang, food manufacturer, recently benefited from the boom, as many people are promoting the company's food rather than Nongshim, who refused to withdraw the ads.
On Friday, Samyang stock price rose by 14.95 percent while Nongshim showed a slight fall.