Korean Journalists Fined For Revealing Affair of USFK Civilian Worker
Via a reader tip comes this conviction against reporters who disclosed the affair of a USFK civilian worker:
South Korea’s top court on Tuesday confirmed the conviction of three weekly magazine reporters who were accused of publishing an extramarital affair story involving a Korean civilian worker at United States Forces Korea (USFK).
The Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling, fining them 3 million won ($2,800) each for defaming the worker.
The court rejected the reporters’ claim that their reporting was justifiable in light of people’s right to know and the freedom of press.
It said the disputed story dealt with a “sheer private affair” whose publication did nothing for public interest. The court said the story was published with personal details edited out, but not enough. [Korea Times]
Can you imagine if the US had South Korea’s defamation laws? The journalists in America would all be broke from lawsuits.
Those journslists also forgot something important: South Korea decriminalized adultery, so, as the court said, this is a purely private issue.
I wish the journalists had to pay 30 million won. 3 mil is barely a tap on the wrist.