[The Hankyoreh, May.22,2007] Presidential hopefuls bash gov't plan to curtail press rooms

In a rare move, South Korean presidential hopefuls spoke with one voice Tuesday in criticizing President Roh Moo-hyun for pushing to drastically slash the number of press rooms to reform the media circle. In a Cabinet Council meeting earlier Tuesday, President Roh approved a plan to shut down 40 press rooms installed in government offices throughout the country and reconsolidate them into three integrated ones at main government complexes. Roh's government says the plan is part of efforts to put an end to outdated reporting practices and introduce advanced systems, but critics argue that it will only result in restricting the freedom of press.

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