The Power and Creativity of Editing: The Historic Role of A Magazine - - PDF document

The Power and Creativity of Editing: The Historic Role of A Magazine of Current Issues, A People's Magazine Creating the History through Its Recording

• With the case of Monthly Chosun which won the freedom of

speech through the power of facts, readership and market while struggling against the Regime of South Korea in 1980s and the Regime of North Korea in 1990s Gab-Je Cho CEO/Editor Monthly Chosun, Korea To be presented at the FIPP Seoul Conference

• n April 18(Thurs.), 2002

Abstract

Korean magazines of current issues, which are represented by Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A whose readership is mainly opinion leaders of Korean society, have been exercising a great political power through their in-depth reports and featured and exclusive news coverages. In 1980s when Korea was ruled by the authoritative government, these two magazines fought against the government's oppression more courageously than even newspapers and TV/Radio media by publishing behind-the- scenes political stories and articles criticizing the government. By gaining a great support from the general public, they recorded the sales volume equal to that of newspapers. The competitive coverage of these two magazines and expanded sales of their copies

have become the driving force of expanding the freedom of speech. As Democratization Movement became the main stream of Korean society after the General Election on February 12,1985, these two magazines enjoyed their far-reaching influences and explosively increased sales of their copies to such an extent that the opposite political party and the public opinion backed up these magazines powerfully enough for the government to give up the measure of banning the sales of these two magazines by force. During the Age of Democratization after 1988, Monthly Chosun selected the North Korean Regime's oppression on human rights as a new item and reported this issue

• intensively. By doing so, these magazines could lead South Korean government to take

the policy of accommodating the runaway North Koreans. The reporters of Monthly Chosun became even activists rescuing the runaway people from North Korea.

1. Educating the General Public and Checking the Powers

• Dr. Seung-Man Rhee who was a main actor in constructing the Republic of Korea

was a journalist who founded Maeil Newspaper in 1898, which was the first daily newspaper in Korea, and unfolded the enlightenment movement through the press. Such roles of the press centering around daily newspapers as educating the general public and checking the powers continued after the national foundation. The Students' Revolution in April, 1960 collapsed the regime led by Seung-Man Rhee, which was ignited by newspapers' criticism against Rhee's Regime. Especially the monthly magazine Sasanggye, under the leadership of its President Jun- Ha Chang, provided the intellectuals with logics and rationales for criticizing the government and expanding democracy while serving itself as their plaza. Park Jeong-Hee Regime which took power through the military coup d'etat on May 16, 1961 continued its relationship of high tension with the press, students, and intellectuals. Park's Regime positioned itself as such that national security and economic development were the most important tasks under the situation of military confrontation

between the South Korea and the North Korea, and that the goals of modernizing the Fatherland, enriching the nation and strengthening the military forces should be achieved as soon as possible considering the cold reality of Korea even though the price

• f limiting political freedom to some extent should be paid.

The press people and intellectuals, on the other hand, criticized Park's Regime saying that "Any limit or modification of free democracy is a dictatorship since free democracy is something divine that cannot be violated." The 18-year-run Park's Era ended when President Park Jeong-Hee was assassinated

• n October 26, 1979 by Director Jae-Gyu Kim of Korean CIA. A series of

developments, such as Bu-Ma Incident which was a prelude to the president assassination, and political conflicts surrounding the episode of striking off the name Kim Young-Sam from congressmanship, could not have played the role of igniting the collapse of Park's Regime if there had been no news coverage on these stories by the press at that time.

2. The Political Behind-the-Scenes Story during Park Jeong-Hee Regime

Monthly Chosun was launched in April, 1980 by Chosun Daily Newspaper. One month later, new military leaders headed by General Chun Doo-Whan took power and

• ppressed the freedom of speech and hence the freedom of news coverage and editing

was greatly shrinked. Stories unfavorable to the Regime could not be reported. Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A took a detouring strategy of "revealing what is happening today by uncovering what happened yesterday if today's issues cannot by reported as they are." Monthly Chosun covered a feature story of "Documentary May 16 Military Coup D'etat" in the March issue of 1982. The documentary was the behind-the-scenes story of the Military Coup D'etat led by Major General Park Jeong-Hee on May 16, 1961. Thanks to this story, a large volume of copies issued in March, 1982 sold very well. For about a decade since then, stories about May 16 Coup D'etat has become a popular menu of magazines of current issues including Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A. Chon Doo-Whan Regime which took power through coup detat in May, 1980

strengthened the restrictions over the press, but partially permitted, though not encouraged, to write political behind-the-scenes stories of Park's Regime, instead. The measures to restrict the freedom of speech at that time were taken by National Security Planning Agency (NSPA) and Ministry of Culture and Information (MCI). Both NSPA and MCI dispatched their men-in-charge to every company of the press. At that time, Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A were the major objects requiring their special inspections and investigations. Due to their involvement, magazine printing was frequently stopped and articles which they judged problematic were often entirely or partially crossed out.

3. Competition over Exclusive News Coverages and Increased Number of Copies Sold: The Driving Force in Expanding the Freedom of Speech

It was in the May and June issues of 1985 that Monthly Chosun covered the story of so-called October 26 Incident, i.e., the assassination of President Park Jeong-Hee by Director Jae-Gyu Kim of Korean CIA. Shin-Dong-A also covered the behind-the-scenes story of October 26 Incident one month later. As the sharp argument of Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A got nearer to the heart of the secret story of Park's Regime, the number of these two magazines sold dashed to the level of 100,000~200,000 copies. These two magazines competitively infringed into the taboo line drawn by Chon's Regime one bite after another and stimulated readers' curiosity. Readers, who were greatly dissatisfied with the circumstance that political activities were restricted in reality under Chon's Regime, sought a sort of substitutive satisfaction by reading the inside stories about power struggles under the authoritative regime of the past. If one of these two magazines broke the sanctuary first, the other magazine placed another exclusive news coverage which was advanced one step further into the prohibited line. By doing so, they expanded the freedom of speech. The competitive coverage of exclusive news and the increased sales of magazines which were followed were a great stimulus and a powerful driving force in expanding the freedom of speech. Then, reporters' sense of justice and mission that they reported only the truth was added.

4. Reports on Gwangju Incident

In the summer of 1985, the opposite party raised at the National Assembly the issue

• f suppressing the demonstration which had been unfolded in Gwangju in May, 1980

through employing military forces. Taking this opportunity, Monthly Chosun and Shin- Dong-A placed a featured story on Gwangju Incident in their July issue in 1985. Stories about Gwangju Incident was the most sensitive matter which Chon's Regime wanted to hide. The Editor-in-Chief of Monthly Chosun, therefore, held meetings with the Management before forwarding the manuscripts to the printing company and reviewed the articles closely. By doing so, Monthly Chosun tried to protect itself from the pressure and protest from citizens as well as from the Regime. Both the July issue of Monthly Chosun and that of Shin-Dong-A which dealt with Gwangju Incident recorded the highest sales figure in history, respectively.

5. The Highest Number of Copies Sold Amid the Enthusiasm for Democratization.

The tough competition between Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A over exclusive news stories was a decisive factor contributing to the increase of magazine sales and to the expansion of the freedom of speech. Editors-in-Chief and reporters of these two magazines paid all their keen attention to what stories the rival magazine would report in their following issue. They were all obsessed by the idea that they should advance the exclusive news stories which were expected to be reported by the rival magazine. Such a sense of obsession made reporters courageous, which became the power resisting against the Regime's measures of oppression. Amid the chain reaction going like this: competition over exclusive news stories → expanded freedom of speech → readers' supportive reaction → increased magazine sales, magazines were winning the widest range of freedom of speech among the press in Korea.

Both Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A placed the interview story of the former Director Hu-Rak Lee of Korean CIA in the October issue of 1987. During the interview, former Director Lee revealed the role he played in the Kim Dae-Jung Kidnaping

• Incident. Chon Doo-Whan Regime stopped the delivery of these two magazines from

the printing house judging that the Lee's testimony would deteriorate the Korea-Japan relationship and could level up the popularity of Kim Dae-Jung who would be a candidate for the Presidential Election coming soon. All opposite parties raised this issue all together and other press agencies added their

• voices. As a result, it became a big issue. Chon Doo-Whan government, which promised

the freedom of speech through June 29 Declaration for Democratization, kneeled down

• ne week later and could not cross out the article. They could not help allowing the

sales of these two magazines. These two magazines showed record-breaking sales figures. Monthly Chosun published 405,000 copies of the October issue, the highest record in the magazine history in Korea. The episode of reporting the interview story with the former director Hu-Rak Lee of Korean CIA was not only an epoch-making sensation in the course of expanding the freedom of speech led by magazines, but also a dramatic evidence showing that the power could not control the press with ease any more.

6. The Last Taboo: Report on October 12 Incident

The last sanctuary left to Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A, which had been satisfying readers' right to know and answering many curious questions while leading the Korean press at the front line, was the Coup D'etat broke out on December 12 in 1979. This taboo was broken by the story placed in the September issue of Monthly Chosun published in 1987. Reporter Gab-Je Cho interviewed General Seung-Wha Chong of the former Chief Martial Law Administrator and placed the interview story running about 30 pages. This exclusive interview news became a signal bullet that led the Korean press to deal with the December 12 Incident not as a secret and private talk but as a public opinion. Several months later, Mr. Seung-Wha Chong was appointed as the Vice Chainman of

New Democratic Party headed by Kim Young-Sam. By doing so, Mr. Chong made the December 12 Incident as the biggest issue in the Presidential Election held in December

• f the same year.

Monthly Chosun obtained the tape of a wiretap which recorded the telephone conversation of the 3rd Corps Commander by the Korean Army Security Headquarters. The recorded conversation was like a relay from the site of the December 12 Incident. Monthly Chosun published this tape as a supplement. Monthly Chosun published 300,000 copies of its 1995 September issue. The exposure

• f this tape, which became the proof of the Coup D'etat, to the public has become one of

the initial explosives triggering the reinvestigation of the December 12 Incident by the prosecutory authorities and consequently putting two former presidents Chon Doo- Whan and Noh Tae-Woo into prison.

7. Grasp Yesterday and You Will Dominate Today.

How Monthly Chosun and Shin-Dong-A focusing the news coverage of the behind- thescenes stories could hold the hegemony of one era among various media can be explained by their strategic approach as follows: starting from uncovering the hidden stories and irrational cases and advancing step by step to touch the people in power today while making the best use of the merits and characteristics which magazines have when other media can not exercise the freedom of speech due to the suppression brought to the press by the authoritative government. One principle that can be found in the political history of Korea is that those who grasp the past are to dominate the present. Those who grasp the power to interpret political incidents or cases happened in the past can secure the logical ground to justify their behaviors of today.

• 8. A New Horizon called North Korea

During the authoritative regimes, North Korea was almost not considered as a target for news coverage by the Korean press. It is because reporters got used to the idea that

what they should do as far as North Korea is concerned was to write down what was supplied by information agencies and the Military possessing exclusively all the information on North Korea. The Age of Democratization unfolded in 1988 changed reporters' perspectives toward North Korea. As regulations over the news coverage about North Korea got relaxed, reporters began to cover issues related to North Korea. Monthly Chosun placed the interview story of Hyun-Hee Kim, who attempted to blow up the KAL, in series in the May, June and July issues published in 1989. Reporter Gab-Je Cho was shocked while introducing the real situation and the daily life which Miss Kim experienced in North Korea. Cho was schocked to find his absolute ignorance

• f North Korea. Cho was also schocked to find the miserable reality of North Korea

which he heard from her. Since then, Reporter Cho of Monthly Chosun began to pour all his enthusiasm to cover the true facts about North Korea. Monthly Chosun published a special supplement of the January issue of 1991 whose title was "North Korea and Its Shocking Reality: S tories told by those who lived or visited there." This book revealed the real facts of North Korean society and its regime in three dimensions which were reorganized on the base of testimonies spoken by those who ran away from North Korea and by those who traveled to North Korea. The supplement is very significant in that it showed the direction which Monthly Chosun had to follow in covering stories about North Korea. While publishing this book, Monthly Chosun staff could visualize their views on North Korea.

• 9. Leading the Government to Change Policies toward the People

Running Away from North Korea by Reporting Human Rights Issues of North Korea

Monthly Chosun dealt intensively and continuously with human rights issues of North Korea such as: North Korean escapers; fishermen kidnapped to the North; camps for political criminals; and public executions. Monthly Chosun reporters did not stop at fact-reportings but did play a critical role in rescuing those who ran away from North Korea. They played a leading role to save two

South Korean fishermen in the summer of 2000 and in the fall of 2001. These fishermen were kidnaped to North over 30 years ago, and after escaping from North Korea, were hiding themselves in the third country. Monthly Chosun placed an article entitled "300 Lumbermen Wandering in Russia after Escaping from North Korea (written by Seong-Jun Whang)" in the April issue of

• 1993. This article was also quoted and reported by other press media, which created a

turning point for Kim Young-Sam government to change the already existing policy of rejecting the accommodation of North Korean Escapers into the one of accepting them. The special article on the Camps of Political Criminals in North Korea was placed in the June issue of Monthly Chosun in 1994. This article disclosed to the world the true reality of human slaughter of North Korea which reminded us of the Judean Camp "Auschwitz." Since then, Monthly Chosun has revealed the true facts about it trough interviewing all of those who escaped from the camps and came to Korea. Monthly Chosun, which had been repressed by those in power in 1980s, were threatened and criticized mainly by the leftists in 1990s. It is because of the fact that Monthly Chosun has made intensive reports about the oppression of human rights which Kim Jeong-Il Regime in North Korea has committed while safeguarding the values of Korea, i.e., free democracy, freedom of speech, market economy and governing by law.

• 10. Utilizing Freedom for the Enhancement of Human Rights

For the last 22 years, Monthly Chosun has stood at the center of the current forming the Korean society of modern times. Monthly Chosun has sometimes changed the current by reading and reporting its direction. The power of Monthly Chosun to create the history while recording it was the power of facts and enthusiasm. Reporters of Monthly Chosun have dug out hidden truths while competing over exclusive news coverages with its rival magazine. Readers have bought magazines a lot while supporting the reporters' work. The Management of the magazine has been encouraged thanks to supports and profits generated from the readers market, and, hence, could have protested against power.

Through such a cooperation among reporters, readers, the magazine market and the Management, the freedom of speech has been expanded. Monthly Chosun has not privately used the freedom of speech it obtained through struggles. Rather, it has utilized the freedom of criticizing both regimes of South Korea and North Korea for their oppression on human rights in such a way that everyone can lead a human life. Monthly Chosun will remain as a press believing in the power of facts, the power of exclusive news coverages, the good will of readers, the power of market and the power

• f freedom.