Page:A Problem in Japan's Control of the Press in Korea, 1906-1909.djvu/2

394 idea of the daily press is still somewhat crude, and is illustrated by the fact that when some statement is denied, he is very likely to say, 'It must be true. The paper says so. Or, according to a Japanese official statement:

Immediately after the conclusion of the protectorate treaty, the Japanese authorities began exercising control over the Korean press. In 1906, when the advisory police board was established, it was entrusted with the control of the press published by Koreans and "had power to examine the draft of each paper or to prohibit the publication of the same if facts were misrepresented or comments made injurious to public peace."

A general law concerning the press was promulgated on July 24, 1907. According to this law, "the publisher of a newspaper is required to receive from the Minister of Home Affairs permission to publish, his application being made through the Police Inspector-General in Seoul, or through a provincial Governor in the provinces; and 300 yen is to be furnished as a guarantee fund by the publisher but in the case of a newspaper engaging in religious or literary work this guarantee fund is not required." Also, the Minister of Home Affairs was empowered to prohibit the sale or distribution of the newspaper, to confiscate it, and to suspend or prohibit its publication if he deems it "injurious to public order or good morals." The publisher or editor of such newspaper was made liable to imprisonment or a fine.