Tax Probes Aimed at Major Media Outlets

The Korean government is using one of its favorite political weapons by targeting four major media outlets with tax probes:

The National Tax Service has sent notices on the investigation to the media outlets – the JoongAng Ilbo, MBC, BBS and the weekly Ilyo Shinmun, the sources said.  The office is planning to start the investigation Monday. The inquiry into MBC is expected to focus on its payments of corporate and value-added taxes in the 2003-04 fiscal year, while the content of investigations into the other companies was not immediately known.

I’m sure this has nothing to do with controlling the South Korean media before the upcoming presidential election.