Foreign reporters decry DP attack on journalist

Home > National > Social Affairs

print dictionary print

Foreign reporters decry DP attack on journalist

An association of foreign news media reporters based in Seoul expressed “grave concern” after the ruling Democratic Party (DP) criticized a Bloomberg News reporter over a story that portrayed President Moon Jae-in as “top spokesman” of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The article, published in September last year, drew fresh attention last week after Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, cited it in her National Assembly speech blasting Moon’s policy on Pyongyang.

The ruling DP issued a statement berating Na, but it also criticized the Bloomberg reporter by name, accusing her of writing a treasonous story as a South Korean citizen that insulted the head of state.

The Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club issued a statement expressing “grave concern over the ruling DP’s statement singling out a Bloomberg reporter,” saying it “resulted in serious threats to her personal safety.”

“It is disturbing for any politician to accuse any journalist of treason - a criminal offence - for reporting on matters of public interest or voicing an opinion. This is a form of censorship and journalistically chilling,” the statement said.

“Questions or complaints regarding an article should be raised with the publication in question rather than personally and publicly targeting a reporter.”

Founded in 1956, the club has about 500 journalists from 100 news outlets as members.

Yonhap
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)