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DE RUEHUL #1911/01 1770024
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260024Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5190
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2704
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2816
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 2010
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J2 SEOUL KOR
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA SCJS SEOUL KOR
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD/ISA/EAP//

UNCLAS SEOUL 001911 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KS
SUBJECT: REPORTERS NOT AS WELCOME IN KOREAN MINISTRIES 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) On May 22, Korea's cabinet passed new rules that 
will, unless opposition from the media and many members of 
the National Assembly proves too strong, dramatically alter 
the current structure of press rooms at most ministry 
offices.  Under the new press policy, which could be 
implemented immediately, the existing 37 press rooms in 
government administrative offices will be consolidated into 
"combined briefing rooms" in three government complexes in 
central Seoul, Gwacheon and Daejeon.  The new rules will ban 
journalists from being stationed in any government offices; 
they will instead be offered temporary press cards to attend 
news briefings.  Reporters will have to rely more heavily on 
personal contacts within the government to get clarification 
on news stories as opposed to the current method of 
approaching officials directly in the halls of the 
ministries.  President Roh characterized the new policy as a 
way to modernize the press corps and bring it more closely in 
line with other countries' stand 
ards while the press cried censorship and infringement of its 
constitutional rights.  (NOTE: The Blue House press room and 
several others will remain unchanged.  MOFAT's press room 
will be affected by the change.  END NOTE.). End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
SOURCE OF DISCORD 
----------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In March, President Roh ordered a study of press 
briefing systems around the world.  "A handful of reporters 
just sit around press rooms and collude, setting the agenda 
on how articles should be written," Roh said at the time the 
order was issued.  The order came shortly after Roh's 
national health plan was widely criticized in the media as a 
ploy to garner support in an election year.  Most people 
agree that there are problems with the Korean press, although 
there is less agreement on the nature and solution to the 
problems.  In a war against the conservative major press -- 
often critical of Roh's "radical" policies -- the president 
has been trying to give more power to the so-called "minor" 
media journalists, including more progressive internet media 
outlets.  After the initial flurry of complaints appeared in 
the press, Roh challenged the media to a public debate on the 
issue, which took place on June 17.  Although it was 
anticipated as a showdown between Roh and the conservative 
media, the atten 
dees were not a representative gathering.  Roh commented 
during the two-hour televised debate that, "The journalists 
were wrongly chosen.  You all come from well-behaved 
organizations." 
 
---------------- 
NEW PRESS POLICY 
---------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The results of Roh's study of other countries' 
press rooms were announced on May 22 in the form of a new 
press policy that includes shutting of 37 press rooms in 
government ministries, to be replaced by "combined briefing 
rooms" in three government complexes in central Seoul, 
Gwacheon and Daejeon.  Journalists, instead of having offices 
in the buildings, will be offered temporary press cards to 
attend news briefings.  Reporters will have to rely more 
heavily on personal contacts within the government to get 
clarification on news stories as opposed to the current 
method of strolling around government ministries and 
questioning officials they meet. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The agency responsible for the new policy, the 
Government Information Agency (GIA), was unapologetic about 
the new policy.  Ahn Young-bae, Deputy Director of the 
agency, denied any connection between the current actions and 
those taken against the media during the repressive Park 
Chung-hee and Chun Doo-wan regimes.  Referring to the 
critical headlines generated by the policy, Ahn said, "At 
least we did not gag the press.  Journalists will be 
inconvenienced by losing their desks at the ministries.  I 
expect that journalists will have to run around more, but 
their articles will include more viewpoints while relying 
less on government-fed information."  Ahn said that the 
measures would make for better reporters. 
 
¶5.  (U) Anecdotally, it is said that Roh changed the 
structure of the Blue House press office after viewing the 
U.S. television drama, The West Wing, where the press is 
often shown as tightly controlled and with limited access to 
the White House. 
 
-------------- 
MEDIA RESPONSE 
-------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Korean press responded quickly by publishing 
negative headlines about the perceived limitations on their 
constitutional right to information.  Legal groups led by 
human rights lawyers are planning to file a claim against the 
government naming the public, journalists and media groups as 
co-claimants.  Journalists also raised the concern that 
higher-ranking officials were refusing contact with 
reporters, implying that a wall was being built up between 
the government and the media. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) From the foreign media perspective, Associated 
Press journalist Bert Herman told us that he did not like the 
old system as it effectively shut out Western and foreign 
media from the "special" briefing sessions and from the use 
of the press rooms.  Under the new policy, Herman said that 
he was told foreign journalists will have the same access as 
local journalists.  While Herman was skeptical of the claim, 
he said that any change to the press policy offered the 
possibility of improvement over the old system. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) According to Media Today, up to 85.7 percent of 
managing editors in 18 local media outlets are opposed to the 
new plan.  About 43 percent believe the previous press system 
will be restored as soon as the Roh government moves out 
after the December presidential election. 
 
--------------------- 
POLITICIANS' RESPONSE 
--------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Opposition Party GNP Chairman, Kang Jae-sup, 
quickly weighed in on behalf of his party to say they will 
fight the change.  "The party will do its best to invalidate 
the new measure within the June National Assembly session 
after examining its legal and institutional injustice.  The 
government will not succeed in its attempt to cover up its 
misgoverning by closing down press rooms."  Both of the 
leading GNP presidential candidates, Lee Myung-bak and Park 
Geun-hye, spoke out in opposition to the plan.  Lee went so 
far as to say if he were elected, he would reopen the press 
rooms. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Even the ruling Uri Party spokesman, Choi 
Jae-sung, expressed his party's concern with the rules in the 
following statement: "The government should think this over 
before making a decision.  We formally urge the government to 
put the idea on hold."  (NOTE:  If the Uri Party decides to 
withhold support, the plan will effectively come up against 
unanimous opposition in the National Assembly as all other 
parties have already declared they are against the scheme. 
Even so, the executive branch can still implement the new 
rule.  END NOTE.). 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) It is no secret that Roh has a strained 
relationship with the press and would like to cramp their 
style somewhat.  At the same time, Korea's media currently 
enjoys amazing access to ministries and officials.  Embassy 
officers often meet journalists not just in the lobbies of 
ministries, but wandering the halls with apparent easy access 
to senior officials.  Not surprisingly, ostensibly internal 
government information leaks, and quickly.  Hence, the 
limitations on journalists' access to government ministries 
should not be seen as trampling on freedom of the press -- 
which Korea enjoys in abundance -- but as an effort to put in 
place boundaries that are common in the U.S. and elsewhere. 
Although access to the briefing sessions will be more tightly 
controlled, there are no indications that the briefings will 
be any less forthcoming. 
VERSHBOW