Gominjeong on Ministry of Justice Emperor Protocol Controversy: "Media Reporting Practices Are the Problem"

[Photo by Go Min-jung, captured from the Facebook page of the Democratic Party of Korea]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] Democratic Party lawmaker Go Min-jeong criticized the media coverage regarding the controversy over Deputy Minister of Justice Kang Seong-guk's 'emperor-style protocol.'

On the 28th, Go posted on her Facebook, stating, "We need to change the wrong broadcasting coverage practices." She said, "According to the Ministry of Justice's explanation, the staff member holding the umbrella behind the deputy minister was tall, so the photographers and videographers asked him to move aside," adding, "From the perspective of the reporters, they probably wanted to capture the best shot, but in unavoidable situations like this, such requests should not have been made."

Go then questioned, "What is the current media's standard for judging important reports?" She said, "Looking at the situation that day, you can see the reporters wanting to capture good footage and the Ministry of Justice aiming to complete the briefing smoothly," and added, "It is about communication between the agency's public relations team and the reporters to resolve various unexpected situations together."

She also pointed out, "Even though this incident arose from accommodating the reporters' demands rather than unilateral actions by the Ministry of Justice, why are so many articles like this being produced?" She criticized, "The briefing was about support needed for Afghan collaborators and their families who escaped death, but due to indiscriminate coverage of opposition party comments, only a single photo of the umbrella-holding 'emperor-style protocol' remains."

Go emphasized, "We need to change the media environment driven by online click counts," and said, "Many journalists probably understood the situation on site but could not avoid writing the articles." She also stressed, "Editorial independence is an urgent issue," adding, "As only such sensational articles are read, the vicious cycle repeats, and the media's credibility continues to plummet."

However, she added, "This does not mean the Ministry of Justice acted well," and said, "Even if it was raining, unless it was a heavy downpour, they should have just gotten wet, and even if there was a request to move aside, they should have explained the situation and sought understanding." She concluded, "Before the 'miracle's emotion' even faded, seeing these articles flooding the online space makes me reflect on facts, truth, and the current state of the media," and said, "The judgment is up to the people."

Earlier, on the 27th, Deputy Minister Kang held a briefing on initial settlement support for Afghan special entrants at the National Human Resources Development Institute in Jincheon, Chungbuk. However, during the approximately 10-minute briefing, a Ministry of Justice staff member was seen kneeling behind Deputy Minister Kang holding an umbrella, sparking controversy among the public over excessive protocol.

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