Even Foreign Journalists Criticize... 'Former Reporter' Lee Nak-yeon Says "If I Were an Active Reporter, I Would Have Volunteered"

Former Democratic Party leader and presidential primary candidate of the Democratic Party, Lee Nak-yeon./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Former Democratic Party leader and journalist Lee Nak-yeon claimed that "if they were active journalists, they would have welcomed and volunteered for the Media Arbitration Act" amid criticism from foreign correspondents regarding the forced passage of the amended Media Arbitration Act pushed through by the Democratic Party.

On the 20th, Lee appeared on the YouTube channel 'Open Democratic Party TV' and said, "It is a desirable path for active journalists as well (the passage of the Media Arbitration Act)."

Lee pointed out, "There is enough freedom, but trust is not received, and it would be good for the future of the media to quickly escape this imbalance," adding, "Those who have suffered defamation, injury, or other damages due to the media have no clear way of relief."

He added, "The media superficially say there is a concern that freedom of the press may be restricted, and such points should be fully considered in the future legislation and enforcement of the Media Arbitration Act."

On the 19th, members of the People Power Party opposed the amendment to the Media Arbitration Act during the full meeting of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, on the same day, foreign correspondents active in Korea issued a critical statement regarding the Democratic Party's forced passage of the amended Media Arbitration Act.

The Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club (SFCC) board expressed deep concern in a statement released on the 20th about the move to forcibly pass the amended Media Arbitration Act in the National Assembly, which contains provisions that could seriously restrict freedom of the press. They said, "While we agree with the need for a system to remedy damages caused by fake news, we worry that passing a controversial bill that could restrict fundamental rights in a democratic society might lead to losing the bigger picture while seeking small gains."

The SFCC board explained, "Recently, more foreign media companies are relocating their East Asian media hubs to Seoul," noting that "many of them have focused on the peaceful regime change through candlelight protests and the more advanced media environment and awareness in Korea."

However, they pointed out, "Due to the recent moves to amend the Media Arbitration Act, the international image and free media environment that Korea has built up are at risk of regression," adding, "This shows that those in power can affect the reporting environment for both domestic and foreign media."

They demanded, "We hope that this bill will be carefully reviewed and various voices from society will be heard, like the Korean proverb 'Even when crossing a stone bridge, tap it first' rather than being passed in a flash in the National Assembly." They also expressed support for the position of domestic media organizations such as the Korea Journalists Association, which calls for a social consensus process to calmly create a balanced alternative that strengthens remedies for media-related damages while guaranteeing media freedom and responsibility.

Earlier, on the 19th, the Democratic Party passed the amended Media Arbitration Act through the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly. The amendment centers on allowing punitive damages of up to five times the amount of damages to be claimed against media companies for false or manipulated reports.

While the intent is to protect victims of so-called "fake news," the media industry and opposition parties criticize the bill, pointing out that some provisions such as "false or manipulated reports" and "presumption of intent and gross negligence" are vague, which could lead to excessive lawsuits and potentially suppress reporting, leading to criticism that it is a "gag law for the media."

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