hankyoreh

2007 to celebrate the South Korean Constitutional Court’s decision to give overseas Koreans the right to vote.

The Journalists’ Association of Korea is requesting that the International Federation of Journalists dispatch a team of investigators to examine the situation of media suppression by the Lee Myung-bak administration, including the mass firing of journalists at YTN. As the IFJ has also stated that it will send investigators if asked, it is anticipated that Korea’s media situation will rise as an area of interest in international society.

The JAK held an emergency meeting of the heads of chapters located in Seoul on October 15 with the participation of a delegation including JAK President Kim Kyung-ho and more than 10 Seoul chapter heads, deciding unanimously to make the request. Previously, IFJ President Jim Boumelha visited the JAK on October 7 and stated that the IFJ would send an investigative team if the JAK made a formal request.

The participants in the meeting gathered opinions, deciding to arrange for the IFJ investigative team to be able to visit Korea in time for October 24, the 34th anniversary of the establishment of the DongA Ilbo Commission for the Fight to Protect a Free Press, at the earliest. Specific information about the time, subjects and methods of the investigation are to be decided through discussion with chapters of the JAK, including those of YTN, Korean Broadcasting System and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, considered among the subjects of the investigation.

The JAK stated that if the investigative team is sent, it appears that it will consist of around 3 to 5 people, including IFJ President Boumelha and IFJ’s secretary-general, and will visit media organizations such as YTN to investigate the situation of media suppression, including the mass firing of journalists. A visit to Cheong Wa Dae and interviews with ruling and opposition party National Assembly members are also being pursued.

Resolutions were made at the meeting on October 15 to collect donations to help the fired YTN journalists, make a relay declaration of the situation with JAK chapters, and participate in a struggle to prevent YTN President Gu Bon-hong from going to work. Also, JAK Vice President Lee Hee-yong was appointed to head the JAK’s special committee to prevent seizure of the media.

Meanwhile, YTN President Gu attempted to leave for work for the first time in a week at around 9:05 a.m. on October 15, but was blocked by more than 150 YTN union members and officials from the National Union of Media Workers and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions visiting to show their support for the YTN union. Gu returned home after 15 minutes.

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