YTN Changes Jo Gukdang from No. 9 to No. 10... "Apologizes to Party and Viewers"

Cause of Accident "Failed to Verify Changed Party Code"
Broadcast Accident Countermeasures Committee Holds Meeting to Discuss Disciplinary Actions for Officials

YTN apologized for a broadcasting error on the 10th, the day of the general election, in which the party number for Joguk Innovation Party, originally number 9, was mistakenly displayed as number 10.

YTN election broadcast subtitle error screen. [Photo by Jo Guk, Jo Guk Innovation Party representative's Facebook]

Following the incident, YTN stated in a press release, "During the special broadcast 'News Special Report Public Sentiment 2024' at 7:47 AM, the subtitle incorrectly displayed 'Number 10 Joguk Innovation Party' for 57 seconds." They added, "We sincerely apologize to the party (Joguk Innovation Party) and our viewers." Additionally, YTN's anchor issued an apology at 8:36 AM, followed by subtitles and audio apologies at 10:21 AM and 12:37 PM.

YTN explained the cause of the error, saying, "When the National Election Commission provides data to broadcasters, it assigns codes rather than numeric party numbers for each party, and broadcasters must decode these codes to receive the data. Last month, while preparing for election coverage, the Joguk Innovation Party’s code was 10 before the Justice Party and Green Party merged." They continued, "After the merger, Joguk Innovation Party’s number changed to 9, but YTN failed to verify this final code during their checks."

YTN announced that they have convened a broadcasting accident countermeasure committee to investigate the incident and determine disciplinary actions for those involved. They pledged to implement thorough measures to prevent similar broadcasting errors in the future.

Earlier, the Joguk Innovation Party demanded an explanation and apology after YTN aired a broadcast showing their party number as 10 instead of 9 in the April 10 general election coverage. Spokesperson Shin Jang-sik commented, "Both YTN and the National Assembly Broadcasting showed Joguk Innovation Party’s number as 10. The National Assembly Broadcasting reportedly displayed the incorrect number three times for about 48 seconds between 7:35 AM and 7:57 AM."

Shin added, "The National Assembly Broadcasting received the incorrect subtitles from YTN and broadcast them. Therefore, the issue lies with YTN." He explained, "YTN’s election team said it was a simple mistake by a staff member, and that the anchor corrected the error and apologized at the end of the program." He further stated, "Such a critical mistake on election day does not seem like a mere accident," and requested YTN to provide a formal written explanation and apology.

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