A silent press is no longer a press. It is digging the grave of democracy. Hanmibo Graphic

In August 2025, at DEF CON 33, the world's largest hacking conference held in Las Vegas, USA, the report titled 'APT Down: The North Korea Files' posed a critical question to South Korean society. The data included access logs to the National Election Commission's (NEC) internal network, attempts to infiltrate the voting and counting systems, and records of mass theft of public certificates. Despite this, South Korea's major media outlets remained remarkably silent.

In a democracy, elections are the most sacred institution. If evidence of election system hacking emerges, it is a matter of national existence and an issue that the press should investigate first and foremost. However, domestic media outlets largely avoided reporting on it. Some outlets merely echoed the government's statement, saying, "The NEC states there were no signs of intrusion," without delving into the implications of the leaked logs and certificate theft. This silence goes beyond mere irresponsibility; it makes them complicit in obscuring democracy.

Why did the Korean press remain silent?

First, it is due to self-censorship to avoid conflict with power. The NEC is a constitutional body intricately connected to both ruling and opposition political parties, and when combined with the security variable of North Korean hacking, the media shies away, fearing accusations of "escalating political repercussions."

Second, it is the vulnerability of being trapped in advertising and financial structures. Media outlets reliant on large corporate and government advertising hesitate to publish reports that might displease those in power.

Third, it is the lack of expertise within the journalistic community. There is insufficient capacity and will to deeply cover topics like cybersecurity and digital election systems. Ultimately, the silence is a result of a tangle of political calculations, economic pressures, and structural incompetence.

In similar situations, foreign media acted in the opposite way.

During the 2016 hacking of the US Democratic National Committee (DNC), The Washington Post and The New York Times collaborated with the FBI to extensively report on the specific methods and suspected Russian involvement. The Snowden NSA revelations were also made known to the international community by The Guardian and The Washington Post at great personal risk, enabling the establishment of institutional reforms and legal frameworks. In contrast, the Korean press remained silent in the face of an attack on the heart of democracy – the circumstances of NEC infiltration within documents from North Korean hackers.

The essence of a cyber attack is its trace.

The moment log records and evidence of certificate theft intersect, it becomes not merely a technical issue but a threat aimed at the democratic system itself. If the media ignores this, their silence becomes concealment, and concealment becomes complicity in aiding the collapse of democracy.

History has demonstrated the tragedies brought about by media silence. The rampages of power, electoral fraud, and suppression of freedom have all begun when the press failed to fulfill its role. If the media remains silent even in this case of the Kim Soo-ki counter-hacking incident, South Korea's democracy will be digging its own grave.

The press should not curry favor with power but should speak the truth before the people. That is the minimum responsibility to protect democracy. If the press turns a blind eye again this time, the most terrifying enemy will not be North Korean hackers, but the 'silent press.'

Silence kills freedom, nurtures falsehood, and ultimately digs the grave of democracy. What the press must choose now is not silence but exposure, not evasion but vigilance. Only a press that speaks the truth can be the last bastion of democracy.

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