Controversy Over 'Kakao Deureora' Text... Yoon Young-chan Says It Was to Express Fairness Issue

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] On the 8th, Yoon Young-chan, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated regarding the so-called 'Invite Kakao In' controversy, "I expressed it because there was an issue of fairness."

Yoon said at the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee plenary meeting in the afternoon, "Yesterday (the 7th), while watching Representative Lee Nak-yeon's speech, I monitored Kakao's main page, but the article did not appear. However, today (the 8th), as soon as Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, began his speech, the article appeared on the main page," explaining the situation.

He explained, "I thought we should find out the circumstances, why there is such a difference for the same issue and the already scheduled speeches of the ruling and opposition leaders, so I told them to look into it."

On the same day, Yoon became embroiled in controversy after a photo was taken of him expressing dissatisfaction via a Telegram message to someone when the report on Floor Leader Joo's negotiation group representative speech was exposed on the main page of the portal site Daum in the National Assembly plenary session.

The photo showed Yoon capturing and sending a screenshot of the portal site's main page with the article about Floor Leader Joo's remarks, and the recipient responding, "Joo Ho-young's speech is immediately reflected on the main page." Then Yoon left a message saying, "Please strongly protest to Kakao (Daum's parent company)" and "Kakao is going too far. Invite them in."

As the message spread into a controversy over portal suppression, Yoon countered, "I have the freedom to fully express my opinion about what I feel," and "It is very regrettable that this issue is being talked about as suppression of the media and also the portal."

Yoon, who served as the first Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Communication under the Moon Jae-in administration, is a former Dong-A Ilbo reporter and has held positions as director of external cooperation and vice president at Naver.

Regarding this, Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a verbal comment, "Now they are trying to muzzle the portals as well, a 'power-portal collusion,'" and "I saw the sharp side of the Democratic Party summoning Kakao to the National Assembly. It is a terror politics that shakes press freedom to its roots."

People Power Party lawmakers Park Sung-joong, Kim Young-sik, Park Dae-chul, Jung Hee-yong, Jo Myung-hee, Heo Eun-ah, and Hwang Bo-seung-hee, members of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, also issued a statement that day, saying, "Yoon is a former Dong-A Ilbo reporter, former director and vice president at Naver, former standing vice chairman of the Korea Internet Corporations Association, and former Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Communication," and "It has become quite clear why the Blue House sent Yoon to the National Assembly this time," adding, "There have been widespread rumors that the portals have been manipulated by the current Blue House and ruling party, and this incident has revealed this matter," harshly criticizing the situation.

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