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Demonstration against controversial media-related bills draws 4,000
Labor unions and others release statements in support of general media strike and urge GNP to scrap legislation
» The National Union of Media Workers gathered 4,000 people to rally against the passage of seven media-related bills that could severely limit press freedoms in front of the National Assembly on December 30.

On Tuesday, the fifth day of a general strike by media workers, the National Union of Media Workers held a second rally in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido and called on the ruling Grand National Party to scrap seven proposed media-related bills that have been labeled by critics as ¡°vicious.¡± The rally drew the largest number of demonstrators since the general strike was launched, with the participation of about 4,000 people from 74 newspaper companies, broadcasting companies and news agencies.

In a speech, NUMW President Choi Sang-jae said, ¡°This strike is aimed at abolishing the GNP¡¯s vicious media-related bills and defending democracy. If the government attempts to thwart it, we will all take action.¡±

The labor union of public broadcaster Korea Broadcasting System has not joined the strike. But two separate statements were issued by 111 journalists and 159 producers from KBS who have worked there since 2002. The statements expressed support of the NUMW strike and urged the KBS union to participate.


A series of similar statements were issued by the KBS Producers¡¯ Association, the Journalists¡¯ Association, the Management Association and the Association of Broadcasting Technicians, all of which are internal organizations of KBS.

Other organizations followed suit. The Forum on the Public Character of the Media, a group of some 200 media scholars, held an emergency press conference the same day at the Korea Press Center and urged the GNP to ¡°immediately withdraw its media-related legislation and form an organization to achieve social consensus.¡±

The public servants labor union of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security released a statement in support of the general strike. Similar statements were also released by the writers of current affairs and education TV programs at Munwha Broadcasting Corp., or MBC.

More than 23,000 people signed a statement in support of the general strike posted on the Agora section of the Internet portal Daum.

Media Action, a group of 48 media and civic organizations nationwide, including the Journalists Association of Korea and the Citizens¡¯ Coalition for Democratic Media, held a press conference in Cheongun-dong the same day. The group accused the Blue House of orchestrating the controversial legislation and categorized President Lee Myung-bak and Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi Si-jung as two of ¡°the nation¡¯s five enemies,¡± five high-ranking bureaucrats who have been widely accused of trying to seize control of the media.

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Posted on : Dec.31,2008 12:49 KST
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