"Need to Consider Limits of Press Freedom," Cho Kuk Criticizes Media Behavior... Also Points Out Yoon Seok-yeol's 'Dictatorship' Remark

"Do Citizens Have the Right to Know About Family Meal Photos of Former Public Officials?"

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk on the 7th referred to the media's behavior while covering him during his nomination as minister and stated, "I think we now need to consider the limits of press freedom." In particular, Cho criticized Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's remarks to new prosecutors, mentioning the terms 'dictatorship' and 'totalitarianism,' arguing that this is rather evidence that the Moon Jae-in administration was not a dictatorship.

In a post on his Facebook page that morning, Cho said, "There was a reporter who sneaked past the apartment security door, hid under the stairs, and suddenly jumped out to ask questions; a reporter who persistently rang the doorbell at my front door, and when a family member, unable to endure it any longer, opened the door, pointed a camera; a reporter who held onto the car door to prevent it from closing when I or my family were about to get in the car. I remember they were affiliated with , , among others," he said.

He continued, "In May this year, a reporter from staked out in front of my house on a Sunday and followed my family to a brunch restaurant, taking photos and posting them as an 'exclusive capture.' Do reporters enjoy a 'privilege to question' that includes such behavior? If the subject of coverage does not respond, can they use any means to secure statements and footage? Is posting photos of a former public official's family meal also for the public's right to know? Are all these expressions of the constitutionally guaranteed 'freedom of reporting' and to be praised as a manifestation of a dedicated 'journalistic spirit'?" he questioned the appropriateness of the media's behavior in covering him at the time.

Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General [Photo by Yonhap News]

He then asked, "Why don't you cover other important and meaningful cases in the same way, such as crimes involving chaebol families or media owners' families, or the criminal allegations against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's mother-in-law, spouse, and closest aides?" He added, "Under authoritarian regimes, the democratic progressive camp fought with all their might to protect press freedom. As a result, the dark era when the government issued 'press guidelines,' censored articles, surveilled reporters, and detained them has ended. Which media outlet or reporter fears the government now?"

In particular, he said, "While political democracy has been established, the fact that forces who collaborated with authoritarian regimes and hollowed out democracy can unabashedly slander the Moon Jae-in government as 'dictatorship' and 'totalitarianism' itself proves that the Moon administration is not practicing 'dictatorship' or 'totalitarianism.'" He criticized, "The media has become a powerful 'social stronghold' that only pays attention to owners and advertisers. And it operates as a 'social power' that, according to its own agenda and interests, colludes with chaebols or the prosecution to shake the democratically elected government."

Cho's remarks on 'dictatorship' and 'totalitarianism' are interpreted as targeting Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's words to new prosecutors at the ceremony held on the 3rd at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-dong, Seoul. On that day, Yoon said, "Adhering to procedural justice and respecting human rights are fundamental to criminal law enforcement," and "We must always deeply engrave in our hearts the constitutional spirit of freedom democracy, fair competition, and protection of the socially vulnerable embodied in criminal law."

He continued, "The core value of our constitution, liberal democracy, is not about ignoring equality and emphasizing only freedom. It refers to true democracy that rejects dictatorship and totalitarianism disguised as democracy," emphasizing, "Liberal democracy is realized through the rule of law."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.