On December 19, President Lee Jae Myung questioned the rationale behind preventing the public from accessing North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper. He asked if there were concerns about citizens falling for propaganda and becoming communist sympathizers, and subsequently ordered the release of these materials.
During a briefing on the activities of various ministries, including Foreign Affairs and Unification, held at the Government Seoul Complex, President Lee stated that it should make North Korean materials accessible to everyone. He questioned whether to still prosecute people under the National Security Law for viewing this content.
He noted that in the past, mere possession of such materials was punishable. If it proposes making this public now, won’t it spark massive political backlash, with accusations that they’re trying to turn South Korea into a communist state?
President Lee inquired about why it was keeping this information from the public; was it afraid they would be misled? He added that while regulations have their place, they should approach this from the citizens’ perspective.
He continued that understanding North Korea’s true situation might actually help people realize it shouldn’t emulate their system. So why is it blocking access? The media can see it, but the public can’t? He questioned that treating its citizens as if they’re incapable of independent thought and vulnerable to propaganda.
The Director of the Peace Exchange Office at the Ministry of Unification responded that opening access to the Rodong Sinmun has been on the national agenda for both progressive and conservative administrations. However, various disagreements and concerns during implementation have caused us to lose policy momentum.
He added that since the Lee administration took office, they’ve prioritized this issue on the national agenda and are working to expedite its implementation.
President Lee remarked on why this needs to be a national agenda item. It should simply allow access, and criticized the overly solemn approach.
When the Director mentioned that while the Unification Ministry supports this position, agencies like the National Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Justice have different views, President Lee responded that the National Intelligence Service wouldn’t be swayed by this content, but worried that its citizens would become communists or North Korea sympathizers after seeing it? That’s the real issue here.
He concluded by stating that this approach underestimates public awareness and expressed his desire to proceed based on established principles.