6 April 2009

Alert

Journalists' union leader released as deal reached at troubled TV news station


Incident details

Jong-Myun Roh

journalist(s)

released

This is available in:

English Français
(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that an agreement has been reached that should end a year-long dispute between the management and journalists' union at TV news station YTN. As a result of the deal, the head of the journalists' union, Jong-Myun Roh, was released from detention on 2 April 2009 and the journalists ended a 10-day strike.

At the same time, YTN chairman Gu Bon-hong, a close associate of President Lee Myung-bak, has been confirmed in his post.

Reporters Without Borders calls on all the parties to begin a constructive dialogue aimed at adopting mechanisms that will provide long-term protection for the editorial independence of YTN's journalists.

"It is also important to reinstate the journalists who were fired for taking part in protests in defense of the station's editorial freedom, as long as they did not participate in any acts of violence," the press freedom organisation added.

Under the agreement signed by the leadership of the journalists' union on 1 April, management must withdraw all complaints brought against journalists, while the union must do the same. This has already led to the release of union head Jong-Myun Roh, who was arrested along with three other journalists on 22 March.

The head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk met with Jong-Myun Roh on 23 March while he was held in a Seoul police station. The press freedom organisation issued a call at the time for an agreement that would protect the TV station's editorial independence.

Reporters Without Borders also urges the former agriculture minister and his deputy to follow the example of the YTN accord and withdraw their complaint against the journalists responsible for the investigative programme PD Note, on public TV station MBC. The case has been seen as a blot on press freedom in South Korea.

Updates alerts on the broadcasters' strike: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/102021



Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

Stay on top of free expression news.

Sign up to receive the weekly IFEX Communiqué.


More on this case

Asia-Pacific media unions demand resolution of Korea press freedom crisis 5 October 2010 Journalists' union chairman Jong-Myun Roh held without charge; three union members released 31 March 2009 Four state television journalists held in Seoul police station 23 March 2009

South Korea

Reports of intimidation and editorial interference in public broadcaster 10 February 2012 Trial of MBC producers on defamation charges is an "act of revenge", says RSF 14 September 2009 CPJ concerned by pressure on media 8 May 2009 Court acquits blogger known as "Minerva" 23 April 2009 See all alerts: South Korea


 
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) is a global network of 95 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression.
Permission is granted for material on this website to be reproduced or republished in whole or in part provided the source member and/or IFEX is cited with a link to the original item.