Alternative to Irainian Oil

Today's Articles are from the two conservative papers, the Chosun-Ilbo and the Donga-Ilbo. Both articles report that Hussain al-Shahristani, the Deputy Prime Minister  for Oil, had guaranteed that in a event of Oil shortage in South Korea, Iraq will "prioritize" supplying South Korea with Iraqi oil. Furthermore, the two countries were to ensure cooperation in additional development including construction, and energy development.

All in all, a standard, largely routine article dealing with such events. The article's importance came from two implied assurance. First is that Iraq can replace South Korean's Iranian oil (at least for duration of conflict). Second is that Korean business still had many opportunities for investment in Iraqi economy.

What is left unsaid is the stability of Nouri al-Maliki's government in Iraq. Who is to say that the when Korea will actually need the Iranian substitutes, there will be a friendly Iraqi government to deliver on this verbal  guarantee. Just as left unsaid is the questions about the oil producing capbility in Iraq, would it be able to produce and deliver the necessarily amount to meet the demand? Also, the article fails to mention the foreign competition for Iraqi oil in event of disruption in Iranian supply. Will South Korea be able to outbid China? After, all Asia's most voracious consumer is right next door (and seems to be determined to provoke Koreans lately).

As for business in Iraq... the next blog post will deal with that.

Korea's need for Iranian Oil

Article

The above editorial is from the moderate-conservative newspaper the Donga-illbo. The article discusses the impact of loosing access to Iranian oil access and what that can mean to South Korea. The result? Recession if Korea is lucky and the price of Saudi Crude (which is the only alternative to the Iranian source) rises only moderately. If unlucky, the sharp rise in fuel could cause stagflation, according to the article.

The article implies that currently, South Korea depended on Iranian sources for around 10% of its fuel needs and whatever happens, economic hardship is inevitable. Furthermore, trade with Iran has been growing for last several years, with the last year (2010 fig) ending at figure of US $126 Million alone. At the same time, the article all but concedes that defying America would be not only political, but economic suicide, as it notes that keeping the America friendly is of critical importance to the Korean export economy.

Introduction to the Media

Starting next week, I am hoping to work on the articles of interest. But before doing that, let me introduce you to some of the people you will be seeing for next two month.

The Chosun-ilbo ("ilbo" means daily newspaper. It is often used interchangeably with word "sinmun"). Is both the premier newspaper and the most conservative of the mainstream newspaper. It is also the most senior newspaper publication still in print, as it was established in 1920 during relative thaw in the Japanese colonial period.  Its publications dominate the Korean media, since its Monthly Publication "the Wolgan Chosun" (meaning "Chosun Monthly") is viewed as both the Foreign Affairs and the Economist of South Korea. Currently in close relationship with the conservative regime of Lee Myung-Bark, its positions are pro-Japanese, pro-American, pro-Business and anti-Left. The paper supported Korea's sending troops to Iraq (though not the war itself) and is considered to be pro-Israel paper in the country. 

Among the Korean's the newspaper is viewed in drastically different ways. The paper was notorious during the last years of the Japanese colonization as being stuffed with Collaborators, and even with Independence of Korea in 1945, many retained their jobs and outlook. Since then it earned additional black mark for supporting the Military dictatorship until 1980s. It added to its reputation by being lukewarm about the trial of Dictators in 1995 and the investigation about the Japanese Collaborators in 2007. However, conservatives laud the paper for its forthright position, willingness to admit error, and its spirited prose and editorials.  

Along with the Chosun-ilbo, it was established in 1920, being the second oldest paper in Korea (it was established about Month later). While among the Big 3 of the Korean newspapers, the general consensus is that the it lacks the influence that its eternal rive, the Chosun-ilbo has. However, the paper's refutation is not as extremely divided as its rival. The paper is known more for its cultural and literary content than the political content, and is considered to be superior than Chosun-ilbo on those matters. 

Once the favored of the mainstream liberals in the 80s and 90s, the golden days of this paper has passed. Regrettably, the paper today is in uncomfortable place, with no clear distinctive voice to distinguish from its rivals. 

Compared to the two senior papers, the Joongang-ilbo is much younger paper, established in 1965. From the beginning the paper was closed linked with Samsung, its founding company. Even now, many of senior members of Samsung's leadership also sits in the board of directors in the paper. Until the 90s the paper was not in the same league as the other two papers, who dismissed it as Samsung's Mouthpiece but during the 90s onward, the paper aggressively experienced with new formats, talent and Internet, thus gaining influence and readership. The fact that Sansung's emergency as THE preeminet corporation in Korea also played its part. 

Compared to the two rivals, which has long history and positions. The paper is notable for changing holding no clearly held position in many matters (aside from its defense of Samsung).  Its positions tend to be center left. 

The paper is also notable for being connected to Washington Post, it is not a exaggeration that much of the overseas news in Joongang-ilbo is product of Washington Post.

Hankyoreh's size and circulation cannot be measured with the abovementioned papers. It only is only a fraction of their size. But in influence they are equal to each one of them.  Hankyoreh is loved by the left in Korea, it is the paper which gave voice of protesters durning the 80s, it was the voice for liberalism in the transitional period in the 90s with the democracy. It is the paper which is not afraid to be left. It tends to be anti-American, pro-Iran, anti-Israel and pro-North Korea.

Understandably the conservative media like the Chosun-ilbo is not found of this paper, calling it a puppet of China and North Korea. But it is the one paper which tend to give more than cursey look at the outside world, and it is the one paper where the reality of Korea's many problems seem to be squarely, with all its rawness (sometimes too raw) shown in print.

There will be other papers. But these are main characters in our journey.

Preface II: The limit

Evolution of Conservative Movement in Korea according to liberals.

Before moving to the talking about the actual articles themselves, I wanted to spend little more time talking about the media outlets. The above picture is how the liberals in Korea see the conservatives and their establishments: as long unbroken tradition of being traitors and corrupt Neanderthals.

Since the independence from Japan after the Second World War, the conservatives in Korea, whether they wanted or not, were have been seen to have originated from the Japanese collaborators. Even after the chaos of Korean War and three decades of Military Dictatorships of Park Chung-Hee, and Chun Doo-Hwan (and their aggressive propaganda to discredit the liberals) the conservative movement in Korea has a legitimacy problem that cannot be overcome. They are viewed to have been collaborates to the Japanese, to the Americans, the Military Dictatorship and the Chebol that brought the humiliating IMF bailout in 1997s Asian Financial Crisis.

The Newspapers themselves are also deeply intertwined with the conservatives in the messy history of Korea. I hope to elaborate more on this later, but briefly speaking, despite the messy conditions they worked with (Chosunillbo and Donghaillbo was closed down repeatedly by the Japanese), it cannot be denied that they worked within the hated colonial system of Japanese overlords. Moreover, their behavior during the three decades of dictatorship after the Korean war, where they viewed themselves largely as partners of the oppressive regime cannot be forgiven by the liberal activists of younger generation whose persecutions and sacrifices were belittled or ignored for 30 years and even now are insinuated as pro-North Korean by the media establishment.

This is the background in which I begin my journey. 

Korean Blog Media I: Preface

Preface: Nature of Media in South Korea and how it will affect this blog.

Despite the explosion of the media since the beginning of the early 2000s (aided, in part, by the South Korea’s aggressive building of internet capability by the liberal Kim Dae-Jung and Roh Moo-Hyun presidency) the reality of media in South Korea is in many ways, not that dissimilar to their American counterpart.

Among the frustration that I as, an expatriate Korean feeling toward my country is the lack of what I feel is the independent voices in foreign affairs/foreign policy.  In matters that are not directly connected to its well being, traditional media of South Korea is still too close to being standard, (almost unquestioning) position taken by the establishment: that is to say, pro-American, pro-Chabol (the Great Conglomerate) and pro-Capitalism. The goal of this blog in the next five week is to find if there exists a valid, alternative voice in the Korea’s media. Andif it does, what that is.

Tomorrow's post will deal with the brief explanation with the sources I will be using and their limitations before moving to the actual postings.