On the morning of the 17th (Korean time), the war in the Gulf unleashed a veritable “media war” with newspapers and the networks vying for stries. Not to be left out, in Korea, an “interpretation war” broke out between the two networks.



The two networks were caught completely unaware by the U.S surprise attack and further, they were totally unprepared by the live reports from reporters relating the developments directly from Baghdad. Caught off guard, they too, were the subject of a “surprise”attack.



The two networks which had to relay the flood of scoops broadcast by CNN from the onset of the war, had no choice but to opt for simultaneous interpretation for the viewers who do not know English



One network began with a female reporter who did not give a complete 100 percent interpretation but who nevertheless used her professional instinct and gave a breathless commentary of the events based on the information that she understood. For the moment there was something being broadcast.