The International Federation of Journalists ... I-F-J ... has thrown its weight behind South Korea's efforts for media reforms.
A delegation from the I-F-J said in Seoul Friday that media reform is an urgent task in South Korea that cannot be delayed.
The statement said media reform must proceed fairly without regard to partisan interests and that it must be driven by the industry itself based on the needs and desires of the people of Korea.
The statement also said it has NOT found evidence that the South Korean government is using tax laws to unfairly focus attention on media companies.
The delegation, headed by I-F-J President Christopher Warren, arrived in Seoul Thursday and has met with newspaper editors and journalists to discuss media reforms and ongoing investigations into major newspapers on tax evasion and other charges.
The statement said it has found continued evidence that the Korean media operates in a climate of general press freedom and has found no evidence that the rights of journalists to inform the people of Korea are being compromised by current government actions.
The I-F-J represents more than 450 thousand journalists in more than one hundred countries across the world.