[The Chosun Ilbo, November 20 2007] Int'l Press Watchdog Renews Censure of S.Korea

The International Press Institute has again called on President Roh Moo-hyun and his government to withdraw draconian new media policies which restrict media access to government agencies. The request, this year’s fourth by the media watchdog, came in a sternly worded letter on Monday. The IPI is an international gathering of journalists, editors and media executives from 120 countries around the world.

In the letter, the IPI said, “The IPI Board seriously considered placing South Korea back on the IPI Watch List, a list of countries in which press freedom has rapidly deteriorated. However, the IPI Board decided to wait until after the upcoming presidential elections in your country,” since “all major presidential candidates have promised to remove ‘the nails’ hammered into the press rooms by your government.” The letter was referring to a drive to merge the pressrooms at government agencies into a handful “media centers” and restrict press access to officials.