When the Yongsan Presidential Office (YPO) last month denied a customary seat for one of South Korea’s largest broadcasters on Yoon Suk-yeol’s plane to report on his trip to Southeast Asia, it appeared to score an embarrassing own goal. 

Yoon has publicly positioned himself several times as a champion of freedom. He used the word 30 times to drive the point home in his inaugural address. But by apparently attempting to censor MBC over a wafer-thin pretext, Yoon did more damage to his credibility than his worst critics could have done.