[The Hankyoreh, June 13 2008] Candlelight protests focus on KBS audit

Citizens take up the torch for a new cause: media freedoms

Citizens have started to take action against the government’s attempts to control the media, following an announcement on June 11 that the Board of Audit and Inspection would launch an investigation into the Korean Broadcasting System. For the past two days, netizens have staged candlelight protests in front of the KBS building and posted thousands of articles on Websites of the audit board and the National Tax Service.

The candlelight rallies that were held in front of the KBS building on June 11 and 12 focused on an issue unrelated to U.S. beef for the first time since candlelight protests against the U.S. beef agreement began on May 2. The protests in front of KBS were focused on denouncing the President Lee Myung-bak government’s attempts to gain control of the media.

As with the U.S. beef protests, a broad cross-section of the general public is urging the audit board to put an end to its investigation into KBS and calling for the chairman of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission, Choi Si-jung, who is widely known as President Lee’s mentor, to resign.