Media groups up in arms against 'unconstitutional' reform bill

Main opposition People Power Party floor leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, second from right, speaks in front of the National Assembly, Aug. 2, during a rally organized by a union at local broadcaster KBS to protest the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's push to revise a law to introduce punitive damages for media outlets producing what it calls "fake news." Yonhap

Journalists, opposition parties criticize ruling party for trying to gag press

By Jung Da-min

Six media organizations have joined forces to push back against the ruling party's attempt to revise a law to impose punitive damages on media outlets or reporters for producing what it calls "fake news."

They began collecting signatures online from journalists and other staff at media outlets, Monday, to protest the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) plan which they say will be abused to block criticism of "political power" and thus undermine press freedom.

The six groups are the Journalists Association of Korea, Kwanhun Club, Korea News Editors' Association, Korean Association of Newspapers, Korea Internet Newspaper Association and Korea Woman Journalists Association.

In late July, lawmakers of the ruling DPK and a liberal minor opposition party member on a subcommittee of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee endorsed a revision to the Act on Press Arbitration, with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) members boycotting the vote in protest.

They plan to push the revision bill ahead of other procedures so it can be passed at an Aug. 25 Assembly plenary session.

The bill will allow punitive damages to be sought from media outlets that disseminate "fake news." Those purportedly damaged by fake news "intentionally made by reporters or media outlets" can claim punitive compensation amounting to five times the financial damage suffered.

However, critics say the criteria for determining "intention" are ambiguous and there is a risk of overregulation and thus the bill could infringe on the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution, and could be used as a tool to block media criticism of "political and economic power."

"Journalists including former and current reporters, editorial directors, commentators, editorial members, editors and publishers call the DPK's unilateral push for the revision to the Act on Press Arbitration as legislative dictatorship that denigrates the Republic of Korea's democracy and have vowed to stop it by all means," the six media groups said in a joint statement.

They quoted the National Assembly Research Service as saying there were no such legislative precedents overseas, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ― in charge of media-related issues ― which said some clauses of the bill were inappropriate.

The groups demanded a halt to the ongoing procedure to revise the law at the Assembly, and called on the DPK to listen to the opinions of constitutional scholars on whether the revision was constitutional or not. "President Moon Jae-in should make his position on the unconstitutional bill clear, and presidential contenders of both the ruling and opposition blocs should also express their views on it and provide policy alternatives to protect the freedom of the press."

They plan to collect the signatures until Aug. 20 and deliver them to Cheong Wa Dae, the Assembly and the ministry.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, now a presidential contender of the main opposition conservative People Power Party, stages a one-person protest in front of the National Assembly, Tuesday, to condemn the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's push of a law revision that will introduce punitive damages against media outlets for producing "fake news." Joint Press Corps

But members of the DPK remained firm in their stance to push ahead with the revision.

Regarding the media groups' protest, DPK spokesman Rep. Han Jun-ho said, Tuesday, "It is regrettable that misunderstandings and speculation about the revision bill have not been cleared up. … The revision bill has been created to protect the public from media companies that disguise themselves as the press and produce false information."

However the main opposition People Power Party said the revision bill was stronger in suppressing the press than measures imposed by the military dictatorship under former President Park Chung-hee in the 1970s.

"We view the ruling party as hurriedly pushing ahead with the revision because the new regulations are not aimed at improving the people's right to know but at controlling the press ahead of the presidential election," PPP Rep. Yoo Sang-bum said.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, now a presidential contender of the opposition party, staged a one-person protest in front of the National Assembly, saying the new regulation, if passed, will have media outlets and reporters punished based on unclear criteria, adding the passage at the subcommittee did not comply with due procedure.

"If this revision is passed, it will limit the freedom of journalists who write critical stories about the government during the presidential race," Choe said.