Lee Hyo-sik is Finance Desk editor at The Korea Times. He manages finance-related stories on macroeconomics, banks, stocks, bonds, crypto etc. He is passionate about covering what's happening in Korea's financial industry and explaining it to both Korean and non-Korean readers. You can reach him at leehs@koreatimes.co.kr. Your insights and feedbacks are always appreciated.
`Threatening to write unfavorable story not blackmail’
By Lee Hyo-sik
A reporter indicted for “blackmailing” an uncooperative source by writing an unfavorable story was cleared of the charge by the Supreme Court on Sunday as it ruled that his act was within the scope of a reporter’s normal duty.
The highest court found the 50-year-old reporter of a weekly newspaper not guilty on charges of threatening to write an unfavorable story on a source.
The Seoul Northern District Court had earlier declared the reporter, surnamed Chun, innocent.
But the Seoul High court later sentenced him to an eight-month imprisonment suspended for two years, saying that Chun used an unacceptable coverage method, while digging into the source’s private life. He was also sentenced to 120 hours of community service.
“Chun demanded a judicial scrivener, surnamed Cho, accept the request for an interview. Otherwise, the reporter would write a story based only on his findings. We do not think his behavior conforms to blackmail,” a judge said in the verdict.
“It is part of the routine work of newspaper reporters and does not break any of society’s established rules.”
It also said the Seoul High Court misinterpreted legal principles in finding him guilty.
Chun received a tip-off that Cho cheated a 70-year-old individual and received assets worth billions of won. Cho also allegedly evaded paying gift tax. While looking into the case, Chun asked Cho for an interview. After he was refused, the reporter threatened to write an unfavorable story.