Representative Lee Bu-yeong of the Grand National Party said the arrest of media owners who had no reason to flee the country or destroy evidence raises suspicions that the government is deliberately attempting to suppress the press. He added that the accused should be released while their trials are pending, in a special lecture given at the Graduate School of Media Communications, Sogang University.
Lee said that the initiation of the tax probe into newspaper companies when public support for the government was low was enough to arouse suspicions that it was politically harassing the media. He continued that though he does not agree to the idea of separating the ownership and the management of press organizations, tax investigations must be conducted on a regular basis, editing rights should well be respected and laws on newspapers and magazines must be revised to this end.
(Hong Seok-jun, udo@chosun.com)
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