Beopseoryeon: "Kim Geon-hee's Private Call Disclosure, Clear Human Rights Violation" Human Rights Commission Complaint

On the afternoon of the 16th, the MBC program "Straight," which covers the '7-hour phone call' content of Kim Geon-hee, spouse of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, is being broadcast on the electronic billboard at the MBC building in Sangam-dong, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A civic group has filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, calling the broadcast of a phone conversation between Kim Gun-hee, spouse of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, and a journalist a clear violation of human rights.

The Action Alliance for Establishing the Rule of Law (Beopse-ryeon) held a press conference on the morning of the 17th in front of the Human Rights Commission in Jung-gu, Seoul, stating, "Broadcasting a highly private conversation to the entire nation on a public terrestrial broadcaster under the name of verification and public interest is the most horrific witch hunt and human rights violation in election history."

The group added, "This was not a formal journalistic interview, but a highly private conversation exchanged as 'noonim' (older sister) and 'dongsaeng' (younger sibling). No matter how necessary it is to verify the spouse of a presidential candidate, private conversations cannot be considered within the scope of the public's right to know. Especially, illegally obtained recordings acquired like a private investigator for the purpose of influencing the election have neither legitimacy nor public interest, and their disclosure is an extremely harsh and terrible matador against the parties involved."

The group further stated, "Although the court ruled that part of the conversation could be disclosed, the Human Rights Commission should view this differently from the perspective of protecting the victim's human rights," and requested, "Since the illegal and non-public-interest private conversation recordings are not included in the public's right to know, their disclosure constitutes a clear human rights violation and abuse. Therefore, we strongly urge the Human Rights Commission to recommend that the conversation recordings not be disclosed in the future."

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