Constitutional Court dismisses petition on former gov't media policy

SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) -- The Constitutional Court dismissed on Friday a
petition to nullify the former administration's decision to close press rooms in
government ministries.
As part of its media reform policy, the former Roh Moo-hyun administration had
tried to consolidate nearly 40 press rooms at government ministries and agencies
into three joint briefing centers. It also banned reporters from directly
contacting government officials without prior permission from public affairs
offices.
The government at the time had claimed that the policy was necessary to upgrade
national competitiveness through enhanced quality of media coverage.
"The petitioners' right and interest have been recovered as the incumbent
government abolished the measures, and hence, the petition no longer serves to
restore whatever rights that may have been violated," the court said.
The dismissal, in effect, relieves the court of having to conclude whether the
attempted changes were constitutional.
The Lawyers for Citizens had lodged the petition with the Constitutional Court in
July last year, claiming the new media policy infringes on people's right to know
and breaches freedom of speech.
Most of the closed briefing rooms have been reopened after the new administration
took office in February. President Lee Myung-bak had promised to scrap the former
government's press room arrangements during his presidential campaign.
Reporters and journalists had refused to leave the press rooms, some working in
corridors and at lobbies of the government buildings as the former government had
cut off electricity and Internet access in the rooms.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)