By Cho Jae-hyon
City Editor
The government has shown allergic reactions to critical voices. It seems it can't stand those who think differently. From journalists to entertainers, many are being purged, apparently for having beliefs that clash with the administration.
Shin Kyung-min, now officially the former anchor for MBC TV's prime time news program, is the latest to have fallen. The broadcasting firm unseated him from his anchor post without providing specific reasons despite strong protests from reporters and other anchors.
Its president Ohm Ki-young, ironically a former anchor of the news program, said the replacement was meant to sharpen the competitiveness of its news division, denying allegations that he kowtowed to government oppression.
Was Shin such a crucial factor in determining the popularity of the news program? It's true that MBC ``News Desk'' has lagged behind its rival program on KBS. But few would believe the replacement would lure back viewers.
Shin has been a bit different from other anchors. While the primary job of most other Korean anchors is to read the news script faithfully, the cream of his job was sarcastic closing comments imbued with his views on social and political issues covered in the day's news. Wrapping up the nine o'clock nightly news program, he always made succinct, meaningful comments presumably prepared over several hours.
His short and snappy three to four lines of critical comments often resonated with viewers, leaving them nodding or smiling in agreement. It became his trademark.
But as he drew fans, so too did he attract enemies. Many of his powerful foes, who have been the main targets derided by Shin, finally got their revenge against him. Shin won't be seen on prime news, at least for a while.
In his final closing comments Monday, he said, ``With the company's decision, I will be gone. What I have pursued over the last year was freedom, democracy, a check on power and sympathy for the socially weak. I have a lot of things to say, but I will end my closing comments here.''
His absence is causing a big stir. A group of anchors is joining forces with reporters and camera crews who have boycotted production. The escalating conflicts will compound troubles for MBC, which has already been bleeding from plunging ad revenue.
Unlike its bigger rival, KBS, entirely owned by the government, MBC is neither a state-run nor a private company ― it stands in between as a public entity controlled by two non-profit foundations, meaning it's supposed to serve the public, not the government.
MBC has been heading downhill since the prosecution targeted its investigative journal ``PD Notebook'' for some exaggerated and false reports on mad cow disease.
Its management, which has already made a public apology for the program's incorrect reports, might have thought that the replacement of Shin would help mend ties with the government and yield leverage to lure back some previously lost advertisers.
However, the card to replace Shin is unlikely to work this magic, as production boycotting by its crew is disrupting some programs already. It also risks losing loyal viewers.
Not only journalists but some entertainers are being plucked out for different viewpoints. Comedienne-turned-radio-presenter Kim Mi-hwa, also on the replacement list for her liberal comments, was saved at the last moment.
The persecution is also taking place at KBS. Rocker Yoon Do-hyun is one of the few musicians who's been vocal against the conservative government. Late last year, he lost his emcee post for the music program ``Love Letter.''
The state-run broadcaster recently cancelled his pre-arranged appearances on some entertainment programs. His agency chief expressed uncomfortable feelings on the firm's Web site, saying that he hoped that KBS would not consider ``external factors'' other than entertainment activities when deciding on who should appear on its programs.
Yoon, 37, has just issued his eighth album, ``Coexistence.'' In his new songs, the popular rocker sings about social issues, including candlelit rallies, suicides, the tight job market for young people, and the Yongsan tragedy in which six people died during a clash between evicted tenants and police earlier this year.
In an interview, Yoon said he just wants to say what he wants to. He said he wants to let people know what happened in 2009 when they listen to his music in the future. He made it clear that his songs are not political, adding he is only a musician trying to speak out with his music.
Shin and Yoon are just attempting to pay or draw more attention to the socially weak. Their views may be distasteful to some, but that doesn't mean that they should be silenced. Otherwise, society will lose the ability to benefit from different viewpoints ― no matter how radical.