[The Hankyoreh, June 28 2008] [Editorial] Signs of the conservative media’s fall

Yesterday, a group of angry candlelight protesters damaged the entryways of the Chosun Ilbo and DongA Ilbo and made off with their signs. They hung garbage bags where their respective company flags were , and some reporters with these papers were reported to have been physically assaulted. While surely an expression of rage at distorted and biased coverage, this physical violence is most regrettable. Not only will physical power fail to get these papers to ensure fair coverage, it could also lead to accusations it is an attack on press freedoms.

This is, of course, not to say that physical power should not be used under any circumstances. The people are the sovereign authority of the country, so if the government continually rejects their rightful demands and, furthermore, tramples on them with violence, no citizen is going to stand back and take it. The same goes for when media companies that have a financial monopoly on the public opinion market continue to lie and distort, and thereby paint legitimate expressions and actions as illegal violence. It is in this sense that it would be right to see violence on the part of some protesters as a sign their anger is reaching its limits.