Journalists step up strike against magazine chief

Posted on : 2007-06-19 14:52 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Case stems from article blocked from publication
 reading that the independent journal falls to the ground by Samsung's influence.
reading that the independent journal falls to the ground by Samsung's influence.

Twenty-three journalists of a weekly magazine Sisa Journal, who are members of the Korean Federation of Press Unions, launched an indefinite hunger strike on June 18. They have been on strike since June of last year, calling for the magazine's chief to immediately resolve a dispute sparked by the chief's order not to publish an article regarding Samsung Group.

On June 17 of last year, the magazine's president, Keum Chang-tae, ordered journalists not to run the article, which documented the particular human resources structure at Samsung Group. Keum removed the article from publication without the editor in chief's consent.

The magazine's journalists accuse its president of infringing upon their editorial integrity and freedom of the press, saying that Keum's actions were due to his personal relations with Samsung Group forged while working for the Joongang Ilbo, and considering the Samsung Group is a major ad sponsor of the Sisa Journal.

In response, Keum had said that he, in his capacity as the president, held the final editorial decision rights, and pulled the article in question because it was likely to slander or libel the Samsung management by what he called a distortion of fact.

The journalists held press conferences in front of the Samsung Group headquarters and the main building of Sisa Journal, both in downtown Seoul on June 18. They also started their hunger strike in front of the home of Shim Sang-gi, chairman of Seoul Media Group, which owns Sisa Journal.

During the protests, there was a scuffle between five journalists and five company officials, prompting a police investigation. The scuffle erupted when four or five company officials tried to take away a protest signboard hung on the garage of Shim's home.

"During the scuffle, two or three journalists and some company officials were lightly injured," one of the striking journalists said.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

Most viewed articles