Kim Jin-tae "KBS Reporter Files Defamation Complaint... Malicious Falsehood"

Not a Golf Course but a Practice Range
9 Hours Before Sanbul Fire
Serious 'Abusing' Behavior Too

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Province, announced on the 9th that he has filed a lawsuit against a KBS reporter and the person responsible for the report who published an article claiming that he practiced golf during a wildfire situation.

Governor Kim held an emergency press conference at the Gangwon Provincial Office in the afternoon and said, "I have submitted a complaint to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul against the reporter and an unidentified person responsible for the report for defamation by spreading false information."

Jin-tae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Province

Governor Kim explained the background of the lawsuit, saying, "When MBC reported that I visited a golf practice range on March 31, I apologized unconditionally without questioning the reason, but it is different in the case of malicious false reporting."

He claimed that there was a problem with the KBS report titled "Golf during the wildfire on the 18th" and its content. Governor Kim rebutted, "People who saw this probably thought I went to a golf course while the wildfire was happening, but it was not a golf course, it was a practice range. Also, the golf practice range was visited at 7 a.m., and the wildfire occurred at 4:38 p.m., so there is about a 9-hour difference."

He continued, "KBS has revised the article seven times since the initial report, which is tantamount to admitting that the previous article was wrong," and pointed out, "The headline changed from 'during wildfire' to 'on the day of wildfire' to 'amid wildfire,' but can the seriously damaged reputation caused by the first article be restored?"

Governor Kim also criticized the repeated and duplicated transmission of the article as a serious case of 'abusing' the media. He said, "Currently, there are five copies of the article on portals, and six on KBS YouTube. The same content is treated as three 'exclusive articles.' At this level, although it wears the guise of the media, it cannot be helped but suspect the intention is to 'kill Kim Jin-tae.'"

He urged, "KBS, which receives license fees, should not behave like this. I hope it will stop disappointing and return to being a true public broadcaster."

Regarding the instruction by Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, to investigate the facts, he said, "I believe things will change once the truth is known, and I will face whatever comes with confidence."

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