The day after he won the presidential election in December, Roh expressed his "understanding" of the newspapers by telling reporters at the Millennium Democratic Party press center, "It was hard at first to understand why newspapers started with the good things about us and always ended with the things we did wrong, but I got used to it." During a cabinet meeting in April, Roh stressed the importance of the press by saying, "The government's work is evaluated by the people through the press." Recently, a financial official said, "When I met the president lately, he seemed to have the confidence and the heart to forgive and reconcile." The official explained that when he advised the president to refrain from treating the press like an enemy and to tolerate those criticizing him, Roh answered that he would do so in due time.

But only a few days after, on Aug. 2, Roh became more resolute about suppressing the media. Since then, the president has been on the offensive, manifested by his personal suit against the newspaper companies.

Roh's acquaintances showed mixed reactions about the changed manner. "The president's view on newspapers was always unyielding from when his political career began, so nothing has changed," one said. "Those who have been around him for long know what he is thinking, so they do not advise him to be more conciliatory."

An acquaintance from Busan said, "The president's statement on Aug. 2 was not extemporary. It was more like the conclusion to all the statements he had made regarding press reform."

Roh's close acquaintances know of many episodes in which government officials proposed reconciliation with the press and were strictly reprimanded by the president. According to a well-trusted ruling party member from Busan, some of the politicians from Busan asked Roh for a more amicable relationship with the press. Roh replied coldly, "No one is to advise me regarding the press problems." Another politician who advised Roh during his election campaign said, "The president easily gets excited when the topic turns to the press." A Cheong Wa Dae chief secretary said, "It is impossible to make recommendations to him related to the newspapers."

On the other hand, there are views that some of Roh's harsher statements, such as "We must go to war against false reports" or "Some press companies did everything to prevent me from becoming president," were spontaneous. Some say that Roh explodes when he thinks the press has crossed the line. They say that line can be discerned by statements he makes such as, "Newspapers may criticize but they must acknowledge the differences."

An official from Busan related what the first lady Kwon Yang-sook said during a dinner party at Cheong Wa Dae. Kwon told how on April 2 she had showed her husband an article on KBS President Seo Dong-gu as Roh was leaving for the National Assembly. Roh then became extremely angry and made the "clan-media" speech at the assembly. Kwon regretted the incident, saying, "I should not have shown him the article."

Another close acquaintance said, "When a deputy minister during a government forum on Aug. 2 said that contacts with the press should be increased, I was thinking this person was in for a big trouble. Sure enough, the president immediately started reproaching him."

Nevertheless, the consensus is still that Roh's criticism of the press has been in most cases intended rather than spontaneous.

Another close acquaintance of Roh said, "The president's statement on Aug. 2 was intended on building a firewall, since reactions to his press criticisms are expected to rise over the rest of the year." A high-ranking government official said, "When I insist that he reconcile with the press, the president simply smiles. I believe he has a good reason to be assailing the press so tenaciously."

Regarding this, a Cheong Wa Dae chief secretary said, "When we advised the president that he reconcile with a certain press company, Roh said he might resolve matters with other companies but not with that one. He laughed while explaining that he may otherwise lose votes." Roh's special assistant during the elections said, "It is true that the president's popularity rose after he began a war against the press." In other words, Roh's "war on newspapers" has become a cohesive power for Roh's supporters.

Media scholars also vary in opinion regarding Roh's anti-press statements. Professor Kim Woo-ryon from the Hanguk University of Foreign Studies said the president was stirring up conflict to receive more support. Professor Han Gyun-tae from Kyung Hee University, by contrast, said the president was leading the press toward a more positive way of doing its business. Professor Choi Chang-seop from Sogang University said the president is using the press as a scapegoat for the nation's problems. (Hong Seok-jun, udo@chosun.com )