Myongji University, Insun Kim
MOFAT's weak information list is still unsolved! Open the information clearly is the first thing to be done to the rational diplomacy
We, Center for Freedom of Information, have criticized that the closeness of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade(MOFAT) and their highly serious state of closed-door negotiation in terms of major facts of FTA. There have been an intended deletion and edition of information list as a result of the analysis we did about the information list for five months, 2012,1~ 2012,5. We criticized them for the same reason last January, the unopened information of their work, but there is no possibility that the situation will be solved.
As the information list of the MOFAT is showing, from January to May of this year, the information which was made by MOFAT or they received from the other ministries is in an amount of 85 in January, 90 in February, 248 in March, 85 in April, 107 in May and the total number is 615. It means that during the last five months, there have been 123 information which was produced by MOFAT or they received per month on average.
표- Comparison between the MOFAT and the other ministry about the data which was registered to information list for five months.
When it comes to the other same administration, Ministry of Public Administration and Security(MOPAS), there have been 118,857 information was produced and received for five months, during the same time, from January to May.
Another case of the other ministry, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism(MCST) produced and received 89,102 data during the same time. Average 17,820 cases were made and received for a month. This represents that MOFAT contains only 1/193 amount of MOPAS' information and 1/145 of MCST's one. The question is why MOFAT is rarely working while the other same ministries such as MOFAT and MCST are doing many things? It is hard to accept it commonsensically.
Then, why does this kind of situation happen? It is because MOFAT opens information to pubic what they want to show by editing themselves. Of course, among the information they provide, reports, diplomatic relations, pushing the treaties or agreements, and the other records about the negotiation are deleted 100%. Therefore, there is no way people know what the MOFAT did last month by searching the list of information they opened.
It is clear that MOFAT is cheating public by opening just a small amount of data. Moreover, we can not completely identify whether all the information the ministry recorded on the list was what they recorded or what they sent to the other ministry or it was executed in within their department or it was received from the other ministry.
We can not say that such a closed practical of MOFAT is illegal due to the Access to the Public Document law. It is because it is possible to unopen the information as long as it matches with the condition about the closed-door record. However, what MOFAT is doing is excessive.
Do you think that there are so much information which should be closed that MOFAT has to delete and edit by themselves? Moreover, we doubt that the information which should not be revealed to information list is completely meet the 'can not be opened to public' condition. It is not the right way administration to unopen the record thoughtlessly regarding the national interest.
행정안전부의 정보목록(확대-그림클릭)
Recently, Korean society has been disordered because of a military intelligence pact with Japan. And, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan told the context of the agreement and made apology for ignoring public opinion and National assembly during the first 19th assembly meeting of the National Assembly’s Committee for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification. It seems that the situation has been settled down tentatively. However, we should keep in mind. We still don't know any FACT except the prepared report and press conference that MOFAT provides on its own way. This is the dismal reality of Korea in terms of the closing of information.
Original version in Korean