Hong Ik-pyo: "The Legal Press Corps Must Be Disbanded... Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang, KBS, and MBC Should Take the Lead in Deciding"

People Power Party demands apology, calling it "media insult and dictatorial mindset"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Hong Ik-pyo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, argued during an unlimited debate (filibuster) in the National Assembly that the legal press corps should be disbanded. He also stated that the media spaces provided in the National Assembly are inappropriate. The People Power Party demanded an apology, calling it an insult to the press.

On the 11th, at the plenary session of the National Assembly, Rep. Hong referred to the controversy over the prosecution’s surveillance of judges, saying, "(The prosecution) did it on the internet, but did it even include the sister-in-law on the internet?" He added, "When the prosecution handled public security cases, if they gave internet information to people suspected of espionage, they prosecuted them. They treated it as a very serious crime."

He continued, "Suddenly, some media outlets unilaterally accept only the prosecution’s side, centered on the legal press corps, saying that analyzing judges’ tendencies and working hard based on the principle of trial-centeredness is not wrong." He said, "When a member of the National Assembly appears on TV debates and does not know the opposing member well, they look up information about the person on the internet. That is not called surveillance. But what the prosecution did goes beyond that level, and we must distinguish between institutions that can do it and those that must not."

Rep. Hong raised his voice, saying, "Is what the prosecution did legal, or is it espionage or surveillance? Is it prosecution guilty and non-prosecution guilty?" He added, "Investigating the living power is important, but the core of prosecution reform is to investigate those who have committed crimes."

From this perspective, he criticized media coverage. Rep. Hong said, "The legal press corps just transcribes what they did well. I hope Minister Choo Mi-ae disbands the legal press corps." He continued, "What kind of press corps forms a membership among themselves and decides who can join by voting? If the press room is disbanded, they will say it is press suppression, so services should be provided, and any reporter should be allowed to enter and cover."

He viewed the press accreditation system negatively. Rep. Hong said, "In fact, the press accreditation system is a system that prevents competent reporters from standing out," adding, "Because they do not run around but just receive press releases from institutions. Isn’t a reporter someone who goes to sources, verifies information, and tries to write even a few lines of new content beyond what is generally known?"

He then said, "I urge progressive media such as Hankyoreh and Kyunghyang to withdraw from the legal press corps. I hope the publishers and editors-in-chief make a decision," adding, "This will lead Hankyoreh and Kyunghyang to take the lead in prosecution reform and even make JoongAng Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, and Dong-A Ilbo follow. I also ask public broadcasters KBS and MBC to withdraw from the legal press corps and take the lead."

He added, "If the prosecution press corps is maintained, it may appear that Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang, KBS, and MBC have no intention of prosecution reform."

He also criticized the National Assembly’s media support system. Rep. Hong said, "I don’t understand why the National Assembly created the Communication Hall and operates it like that," adding, "It is good to provide reporters with sufficient information and facilities to send articles. But it is problematic to use certain facilities or some areas exclusively as if they were their own offices."

He continued, "The National Assembly is a public institution. Why give such privileges to reporters? Would the public be allowed to use some spaces by paying money? They wouldn’t, right?"

In response, Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the People Power Party, strongly criticized in a verbal statement, saying, "Hong Ik-pyo, who goes beyond insulting the press to a dictatorial mindset, has no right to stand on the National Assembly podium." Spokesperson Kim said, "Such outrageous remarks came from a former Democratic Party spokesperson," adding, "A ruling party member shamelessly uttered absurd remarks like ‘disband the press corps’ and ‘media outlets must show their will for prosecution reform.’"

She further stated, "Having seized the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, now they want to turn the media into a propaganda platform for dictatorship, which is no different from a declaration of war by the Moon Jae-in administration."

Spokesperson Kim said, "How can they threaten reporters they meet every day to become the regime’s mouthpieces? The media view dreamed of by the Moon Jae-in administration is a ‘state-run broadcasting system’ that sings only the praises of Moon, worse than the military regimes they opposed."

She added, "The intention behind selectively mentioning media outlets with public ownership structures must be here. The Democratic Party should officially apologize to the public for abusing the filibuster to highlight the unfairness of the ‘National Surveillance Act,’ insulting the press corps, and undermining press freedom."

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