Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea, known as South Korea, is ranked 47 out of 180 in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), down from its 43 place in 2022. This trend places South Korea among the countries with favorable conditions for their media environment, despite some challenges mainly imposed by politicians and legislation.
Conducted by the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the WPFI annual ranking indicates the extent of freedom to journalists and media among 180 countries and regions. The ranking is based on a questionnaire evaluating the media landscape’s independence, self-censorship, and transparency, determining each country’s index.
The RSF attributes South Korea’s recognition of media freedom and pluralism to its liberal democratic governance. Compared to its neighboring North Korea, China, and Russia, South Korea is distinguished by its Constitution, which “protects freedom of speech and the press of all citizens,” according to ARTICLE 19.
Along with transitioning into a democracy in the 20th century, South Korea’s government adopted several laws, which are still utilized for media censorship. Despite the Constitution’s advocacy of speech and press freedom, journalists аre hindered by politicians who exploit the Constitution, which also recognizes people’s right to prevent the media from damaging their reputation, described the University of Maryland.
Legislators utilize South Korea’s criminal defamation laws, which “broadly define and criminalize defamation, to restrict public discussion and harass, intimidate, or censor private and media expression,” stated the U.S. Department of State. These laws permit up to seven years imprisonment and a fine, and the truth is not a justification if the court determines the stated is against the public interest, stated Human Rights Watch.
According to RSF, such laws cause self-censorship, as “News outlets are confronted by pressure from politicians, government officials, and business conglomerates.” Freedom House exemplified the 2022 defamation suit of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s People Power Party against Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation for releasing a video showing President Yoon allegedly swearing after meeting with President Biden. “The Yoon administration has signalled that media criticism of its activities could result in retaliation.”
Another pressure causing self-censorship is the National Security Act. Korea Law Translation Center presented that the act’s purpose is to restrict any expected actions that could undermine state security. However, 2017 research by Article 19 and Open Net Association reported that South Korea’s government misuses this law “to suppress the free flow of information, restrict the freedom of the media, and criminalize certain forms of expression.”
South Korea also scored 67 out of 100 in Freedom House’s Freedom of the Net index, which measures countries’ digital media freedom. The index is based on questions regarding obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of human rights.
Accordingly, RSF reported that despite sufficient safety conditions in South Korea, journalists face online harassment. Research by Lee and Park stated that “aggressive and abusive expression was the most frequent type of online harassment. Online harassment was found to be positively associated with journalists’ psychological trauma (PTSD symptoms) and intention to leave work.”
Moreover, news media also face harassment. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) presented that in 2023, “News outlet Newstapa and broadcaster Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company have been raided by South Korean authorities.” According to IFJ, the cause of this raid was the coverage by the broadcaster and news outlet of an allegedly fraudulent interview claimed to tarnish Presidential Yoon Suk Yeol’s image.
“These raids and investigations against media outlets are the latest in a concerning trend of media rights violations led by the incumbent government in the Republic of Korea,” claimed IFJ.
###
Toni Kanchev is a student at the American University in Bulgaria, majoring in Business Administration and Journalism. He is interested in financial and marketing trends and desires to keep people informed.
