[The Hankyoreh, August 13 2008] Newspaper execs granted presidential pardons free to move into broadcasting

Relationship between government and media likely to grow stronger following pardons, critics say

Critics of President Lee Myung-bak’s decision to pardon convicted executives from the three major conservative newspapers have characterized the move as a symbolic step toward a “new era of cozy ties between the government and media.” It was announced on August 12 that more than 340,000 convicted businesspeople will be pardoned on Liberation Day, August 15.

The critics say that compared with the presidential pardons for convicted businesspeople, made to “save the economy,” the pardons to be granted to the conservative media executives, including the Chosun Ilbo President Bang Sang-hoon and executives from the JoongAng Ilbo and the DongA Ilbo, are unjustified because none of the executives have apologized for their crimes, yet seem to have contempt for the prosecutors and judges that convicted them. The newspaper executives were all convicted of large-scale tax evasion.