The Marmot’s Hole

Information and its dissemination is a very important thing since it shapes pubic opinion; opinion from which a democratic leader must take their cues from. As can be demonstrated in China, the control of information is synonymous to the control of a nation’s people and helps maintain their legitimacy (having an army with guns certainly helps in China’s case). Korea is now experiencing a new chapter in a continuing political struggle over who has control over the media and what bias it may have.

Originally, I made mention of this in “The Revolution Will Be Televised on Your Handphone” since there seemed to be a interesting relation between the attempt of the Roh administration’s attempt to control, if not influence the press, the public disclosure of the “Il-shim-huway” spy-ring that was run by a prominent media and IT executive here in South Korea, and the creation of a new “broadcasting super-committee”.

This super-committee was supposed to “deal with “media convergence”, i.e., internet-based DMB video broadcasting and games that can be viewed or played on one’s handphone (gameboy/camera/PIM)” as well as “handle all the functions of the Korean Broadcasting Commission, including the appointments to boards of public broadcasters such the Korean Broadcasting System”.

Now, certain civic groups, unions and rival politicians have decided to oppose President Lee’s selection of a “close confidante” of his (Choi See-joong) to lead this new “super-committee”, having fears that the very tool they wished to create may now be turned against them and their interests.

I love the quote from the United Democratic Party Uridang mash-up, who are quick to worry about this development:

We seriously doubt whether a person like this can maintain the neutrality of the broadcasting industry . . . the designation of Choi has been unilaterally pushed by President Lee, so we will do everything we can to block the decision.

. . . thus the game continues.

One must wonder if the Roh Administration, like Nolbu, has unwittingly cut open the wrong gourd and just who might be worthy to handle this newly hatched position of influence since the mis-use of this position could result in the same sort of media control that Roh’s Administration sought, only at a more sophisticated level of influence that might be more difficult to monitor.