Cartoon Idiocy, Part II

After learning that South Korea was in danger of losing the title for “Hub of Petty Despotism,” President Roh Moo Hyun launched his own cartoon war of sorts this week. No embassies were harmed in this production; the only violence was that done to freedom of the press:

President Roh Moo-hyun yesterday filed a second libel suit against the mainstream Chosun Ilbo newspaper, saying a cartoon defamed him by circulating false facts. The cartoon, titled “The lie is detected fast,” was published on Aug. 9 last year and addressed illegal eavesdropping by the state intelligence agency.

In case you’re curious, this appears to be the cartoon we’re talking about:

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Oops. I meant this one:

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Translation:

As a National Intelligence Service employee is grilled by prosecutors about a bugging operation under the Kim Young-sam administration, Samsung Group vice chairman Lee Hak-soo and prosecutors who took bribes harangue the secret agent, “How dare you eavesdrop and disgrace me?” A leaked tape from the operation points to illegal campaign contributions by the Samsung Group.

Here’s more from the Joongang Ilbo story:

In his written complaint submitted to the Seoul Central District Court, Mr. Roh said, “The Chosun Ilbo distorted facts to make it sound as if I received the contents of eavesdropping.” He continued that the cartoon only partially quoted him from a press conference last year and made him out to be in charge of the eavesdropping from behind the scenes. Mr. Roh demanded that the Chosun Ilbo run a retraction or pay 5 million won ($5,100) per day in punitive damages until it does so.

I had no idea the South Korean government had created such elaborate machinery to intimidate the press:

The cartoon became an issue last September when the Press Arbitration Commission took Mr, Roh’s side and ordered the newspaper to run a retraction. The newspaper, long at odds with the Roh administration, refused, and went to trial under the law governing press arbitration.

For more on the South Korean government’s suppression of free speech, click here and scroll down. For more on how Roh’s government has tried to muzzle and control the press, click here.
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