The appeal said that a lawmaker from the "Saenuri Party" recently mentioned discontinuing the progressive paper Jaju Minbo amid the suppression of the paper becoming harsher. The conservative forces bereft of reason have joined it all at once, availing themselves of the opportunity, it added.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan authorities threatened that they will open a hearing to decide whether to close the paper or not, the appeal said, and went on:

Jaju Minbo has so far made objective reports about the north to check the deterioration of the south-north relations and achieve peaceful reunification by implementing the south-north joint declaration and build a prosperous reunified country.

Nevertheless, the authorities try to shut down the legal paper. It is an action aimed to violate democracy.

If the progressive paper is shut down, only coarse invectives slandering the fellow countrymen will be carried in the press and it will become impossible to check the danger of war mounting toward a crucial phase.

The closure of Jaju Minbo will lead to discontinuance of other progressive media organs.

The appeal called upon all the people to actively turn out in the moves to block this.