Democracy in South Korea

The international community is interested in democracy's progress in South Korea. In the past, Kim Dae-jung has been a fighter for the cause of democracy and has criticized Asian nations that limit political freedoms. But has South Korea witnessed a dramatic expansion of media freedoms and more open criticism of its government and leaders? Ironically, international organizations do not evaluate South Korea's media policies highly.

South Korea's authoritarian political culture remains deeply entrenched. In an attempt to demonstrate their loyalty, high- ranking officials and associates of the president have tried to muffle criticism of the president. Some officials have even tried to interfere in the personnel decisions of media groups.

Freedom of speech and freedom of the media are pillars of democracy. Tolerating unwanted criticism of those in power preserves the health of society and allows democracy to function. When those surrounding high-ranking government officials and powerful leaders file defamation lawsuits against critics and reporters, they are committing a form of suppression of public opinion. Government institutions and high-ranking officials ought to counter their critics by appealing to the court of public opinion.

-- The Mainichi Shimbun, Tokyo