At its meeting on 18 May, 2004, the IPI Board decided to remove South Korea from the IPI Watch List, but agreed to maintain its vigilance against possible attempts within the ruling party to curtail media freedom by amending the press law.

IPI, the global press freedom network with members drawn from over 120 countries, welcomes the statement of President Roh Mooyhun when he expressed his desire to work for reconciliation in South Korean society and hopes that the field of media will be included in this renewed effort for harmony within Korean society.

In view of the above, the IPI board reviewed the Director’s report of the Korean press situation and accepted the recommendation of the Korean delegation to remove South Korea from the Watch List.

The Board, however, made it clear that any attempts to restrict the freedom of press such as limiting ownership, imposing a centralized delivery system or any attempt to inhibit the free flow of information would result in South Korea being immediately placed back on the IPI Watch List.

The President was quoted in a statement on 15 May as saying, “Even if there are times when I will get criticized by the media, and my popularity drops, I will uphold the principles and do what I must for the future of the country and the people.”

IPI would like to see this as a positive change from an ideological and confrontational attitude to a more pragmatic and reconciliatory one, and therefore respectfully calls on President Roh to undertake every effort to uphold the principles of press freedom as one of the fundamental rights of democracy and to reject any attempts to infringe this freedom.