The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed by the ongoing detention of a senior media union leader in South Korea, and fears management of the YTN broadcaster and the authorities are colluding to disrupt negotiations to resolve a long-running industrial dispute.
YTN union chairman Jong-Myun Roh is still in police detention after being arrested with Duck-Soo Hyun, former chairman of the YTN union, Seoung-Ho Jo and Jang-Hyuk Lim on March 22, the day before YTN staff were to take strike action, according to the Journalists’ Association of Korea (JAK), an IFJ affiliate.
The other union representatives were released after a local court rejected their arrest warrants.
At the time of the arrests, JAK representatives told the IFJ the union leaders had already agreed with police to answer a summons to appear today.
“Police intervention in a non-violent industrial negotiation process signifies a lack of respect for applying democratic principles to resolve disputes about workers’ rights through peaceful negotiation,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
“A reporter was arrested because he promoted political neutrality in journalism,'' JAK said.
YTN staff have been protesting for eight months to seek guarantees of editorial independence at the broadcaster, following last year’s appointment of Gu Bon-Hong as YTN president. Gu previously worked as an aide to South Korea’s President, Myung-Bak Lee, which raised concerns among YTN staff about potential attempts by the Government to exercise undue political influence on the broadcaster.
Management has responded to the protest actions by dismissing some staff and initiating disciplinary action, complaints to police and court injunctions.
The IFJ condemns the management’s continued resort to police action, which is contrary to the IFJ’s advice in a letter to President Lee and YTN management in February which called on management to refrain from complaints to police and court injunctions.
The IFJ again appeals to YTN management to show good will and to negotiate fairly and openly with staff to resolve the dispute in a manner that serves quality journalism and the best interests of the Korean public.
“The use of police power to remove a key participant in the YTN negotiation process reinforces the concerns of YTN staff about political influence at the broadcaster,” Park said.
For the IFJ’s recommendations on a resolution to the dispute, see:
IFJ Letter to YTN & Mr Gu Feb09.pdf
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide