Somali pirate in Korean media soup opera

Thursday, February 10, 2011

South Korea’s government has defended its decision last month to send in special forces to free a hijacked chemical freighter, killing eight pirates and capturing five. Although international maritime experts fear the raid could increase the risk of violence in the Indian Ocean, Seoul wanted to stamp out its reputation as a soft target for big ransoms.

The execution of the mission – a rare international combat role for South Korea’s military – won cross-party praise. But the subsequent round-the-clock coverage of the aftermath is infuriating the government’s critics.

There are constant updates on the perilous health of the wounded freighter captain, who is shown battling for his life, comatose and hooked up to drips.

Much of the media debate had hinged on whether the pirates could be swapped for other hostages in Somalia, until Seoul’s foreign ministry decided pirates were untrustworthy partners for deals.

Opponents of Lee Myung-bak, South Korea’s president, argue that he is milking the saga through sympathetic media to distract from failures at home – such as rampant foot-and-mouth disease, food-price inflation and an increased threat from North Korea. There are already plans for a blockbuster movie.

“The day-by-day coverage seems excessive,” said Shin Yul, a politics professor at Seoul’s Myongji university. “The presidential palace looks like it’s mainly intending to ward off accusations of incompetence over the shelling of Yeonpyeong island by publicising its success in the Gulf of Aden.”

South Korean public opinion rounded on Mr Lee last year, when many people accused him of weakness for not retaliating against North Korea over the torpedoing of a warship in March and the shelling of Yeonpyeong island November. The attacks killed a total of 50 South Koreans.

“When military operations go wrong, the military has to announce them and Mr Lee pins the blame on them. But in the case of such a successful rescue operation, it is made to look like the operation was led by Mr Lee himself,” complained Ahn Gyu-baek, a democratic lawmaker.

Still, while opposition lawmakers accuse him of overplaying his hand as a strongman, Mr Lee has successfully caught the public mood through his concern for the skipper, Seok Hae-kyun, who is widely seen as the hero of the hour.

In a television interview last week, Mr Lee praised Captain Seok for not surrendering or waiting for the ransom to be paid. The master mariner surreptitiously sabotaged his own ship and steered off course to help the rescuers catch up.

He was shot in the stomach during the raid and, if he dies, at least one of the pirates in Busan could face a murder charge.

“He seems a very special person,” Mr Lee said.

Source: Financial Times