Supreme Prosecutors’ Office plans to add press censorship rules

Nov 16, 2021, 08:51 am

AsiaToday reporter Heo Kyung-joon

It has been confirmed that the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office is preparing to add a protection rule that blocks media access in advance. The plan is aimed at effectively controlling the access of journalists by either adding or modifying related provisions to the existing regulations.

According to the legal community on Monday, the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office is planning to add a provision that blocks multiple reporters from entering the office simultaneously. Once the regulations are finalized, reporters would not be able to visit the prosecutor’s office to hear explanations from the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, including the Prosecutor General, on urgent matters.

The move came after the press corps made an unexpected visit to Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo last Tuesday. The reporters visited the office of the prosecutor general to protest that the inspection department of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office seized a public smartphone the top prosecution office’s spokesperson used to communicate with journalists without a court-issued warrant.

In the process, a conflict between reporters and the prosecution personnel, including bodyguards, erupted over the checking. One of the prosecution personnel complained to the reporters, saying, “How did you get in? Because of you, I was the only one who lost favor with my superior.”

Observers point out that the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office’s such decision actually reflected Prosecutor General Kim’s discomfort. At the time, Kim protested to the reporters, “Why should I be treated like this?”

However, it is pointed out that this move is at odds with what the prosecutor general had said, “The media represents the public opinion and should always listen.”

After the conflict with the reporters, Kim met with a group of senior reporters who have access to judicial offices and said, “Freedom of the press is the foundation for democracy to work smoothly and the cornerstone of a democratic society. Since the media is the people, how could I fight against the media?”

Industry observers criticize that the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office is trying to suppress the ‘freedom of press with a rule that blocks reporters’ access in advance. It is reported that even within the prosecution, there are voices of dissatisfaction that the commanding group is showing a petty attitude of locking the bars after the conflict between Kim and the reporters.

In response, the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office said, “We are not making new regulations.” However, protection-related rules are not disclosed to the public due to internal regulations. Therefore, if the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office modifies and adds a new provision aimed at controlling the access of reporters, it is virtually impossible to verify it.

#Supreme Prosecutors Office #media #censorship #Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo