The transcript of a phone conversation between Saenuri Party Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, the former senior presidential press secretary, and a local news director was revealed Thursday, showing that Lee had requested the revision of a news story related to the deadly ferry sinking in 2014. The coverage was critical of the coast guard and the government.

According to the document made public by the Union of Media Workers, Lee told former KBS director Kim Shi-gon that the cited report appeared to have malicious intent toward the now-defunct Korea Coast Guard. 

The sinking of the ferry Sewol, which left 304 dead or missing, remains one of the worst maritime disasters in Korean history. The lackluster rescue operation by the KCG had sparked public furor and the ultimate breakup of the group. The functions of the organization have since been transferred to the Ministry of Public Safety and Security under President Park Geun-hye’s orders.

“From the perspective of the citizens, the KBS report will make them think that this enormous incident occurred because the KCG did not do their job right. ... How can you trample on the government like this, when we are not the direct cause (of the tragedy),” Lee was quoted as saying in the transcript. Kim was then seen assuring him it will be “taken into consideration.”

Kim was accused in 2014 of saying that the 304 deaths in the Sewol tragedy was not that many compared to the number of traffic accident deaths that occur each year, subsequently resulting in his resignation.

Complaining about direct pressure from Park herself, Lee was quoted as outright saying words like “remove it from the news,” “re-record (the words),” and “of all days, the president had to watch KBS today, please change the content.”

He consistently stressed that the officials of Sewol, not the KCG, were solely responsible for the tragedy, and said state-run media should not be “wrongfully” criticizing the government.

The 2014 news stories in question had pointed at the KCG’s questionable decisions and the lack of a proper chain of command that may have hindered the rescue operation.

Earlier in the week, the special committee tasked with investigating the Sewol sinking filed charges against Rep. Lee and former KBS chief Gil Hwan-young for allegedly meddling with content of the news illegally.

The related organizations said that the transcript was proof that the accusations were true, and called for a thorough investigation of the issue.

Yoo Kyung-geun, the spokesman of a committee for the bereaved families of the Sewol tragedy, said that the transcript showed that the government has been “toying” with the victims.

“Lee said that the Sewol tragedy happened because of the ship’s workers, not the KCG. Although Park said that (the Sewol tragedy) was all her fault, we now know what she was really thinking.”

Rep. Lee was unavailable for comment when reached by The Korea Herald.

The special committee on Sewol is slated to cease its 18 month-activity as of Thursday. The sunken ferry is to be salvaged after July.

Rival parties remain at loggerheads over whether or not the committee should extend its term.

The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea has been calling for its extension, accusing the government and Saenuri of sabotaging the committee, while the Saenuri said that prolonging the activity is futile because its investigation has borne no fruit.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)