Korea Press Foundation Chairman: "Malicious Comments Require Changes in News Distribution Structure"

Suspicions of Government Advertisement Index Manipulation: "Advertising Rates Differ Even with the Same Readership Range"

Pyo Wansu, Chairman of the Korea Press Foundation, who attended the National Assembly's audit, stated, "The media should break free from the obsession of being subordinate to portals and freely engage in normal journalistic activities."

On the 17th, at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's audit of related organizations under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chairman Pyo made the above remarks in response to the serious issue of malicious comments on portal news pointed out by Hwang Bo-seunghee, a member of the People Power Party. He added, "One-time measures are not enough; the digital news distribution structure must be changed," explaining, "A plan for structural improvement was discussed by a group of 10 people for nearly a year, but it was halted when the government changed."

Pyo Wansu, Chairman of the Korea Press Foundation, is responding to lawmakers' questions during the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's audit of the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korea Culture Information Service Agency on the 17th.

Kim Seung-su, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out the possibility of manipulation and distortion in the government advertising execution indicators, specifically in the readership rate and social responsibility categories. Kim criticized, "The range for the readership rate was set too broadly, allowing media outlets with up to six times difference in readership rate to be classified in the same top tier as the number one newspaper," and added, "Giving many points to social indicators results in distorted and contradictory outcomes, which is statistical manipulation." These indicators were newly established by the Press Foundation in 2021 following controversies over inflated paid circulation numbers in the ABC Association's circulation audit, and there are suspicions that the advertising price rankings were reversed.

Regarding this, Chairman Pyo responded, "Just because the readership rates fall within the same range does not mean the advertising rates are the same," and added, "An investigation is currently underway."

At the audit that day, Jeong Kwon-hyun, Head of Government Advertising at the Korea Press Foundation, who was summoned as a witness, was absent citing a business trip to Japan, drawing criticism from opposition party lawmakers. Chairman Pyo explained, "I considered it inappropriate to approve a business trip at a time close to the National Assembly's standing committee session," and added, "No official business trip order was issued, nor was approval given."

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