{"id":2200600,"date":"2023-04-03T20:11:27","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T11:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200600"},"modified":"2023-11-20T18:38:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T09:38:31","slug":"why-foreign-journalists-in-south-korea-get-second-rate-access-to-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/04\/why-foreign-journalists-in-south-korea-get-second-rate-access-to-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Why foreign journalists in South Korea get second-rate access to government"},"content":{"rendered":"

Foreign media unable to access South Korean government ministries and excluded from background briefing opportunities. Artificial embargoes set by Korean reporters that delay the delivery of breaking news. Hurdles that complicate and in some cases prevent international media from obtaining primary source documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are some of the problems blighting the ROK\u2019s media ecosystem, which has for decades operated on a two-level basis that overtly favors local media over the international press, even though no rules or laws exist to formally justify the prejudice.<\/span><\/p>\n

While there have been some improvements in foreign media outlets\u2019 access to the ROK government in recent years, there is little hope the situation will improve significantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the government fears the consequences that creating an equal playing field would create among the Korean press corps, former government spokespersons, long-time journalists on the peninsula and media commentators told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But remedies to equalize government access for local and foreign media do exist, some observers say, with at least one ministry having already created a precedent that could be applied elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE PROBLEM<\/b><\/p>\n

South Korean journalists\u2019 privileged access to the government contributes to numerous problems for international news consumers, say those familiar with the local media ecosystem.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lack of equal access to some of the most critical government ministries in South Korea is the clearest example of where this two-track approach is most felt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Local journalists selected to each ministry\u2019s press corps \u2014 or “kijadan” \u2014 may attend regular briefings held exclusively for Korean reporters and even work daily within the assigned ministry. Foreigners \u2014 in most cases \u2014 have no access to these opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ministries also usually share news of forthcoming government decisions and announcements with Korean reporters in each “kijadan” ahead of their foreign counterparts. Further, Korean reporters who have worked for local and international media outlets confirm that ministry spokespeople who engage with local media tend to have senior positions compared to those who engage with international ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worse, press corps reporters often agree to artificially delay embargoes on releasing news gathered from within their ministries to allow for the convenience of taking a coffee or lunch break, multiple correspondents in Seoul familiar with the system told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was really shocked when I first went to the defense ministry,\u201d said a Korean staffer now working at an international news agency but who previously worked for a local outlet.<\/span><\/p>\n

North Korea had conducted its first-ever submarine ballistic missile launch, the staffer said, but Korean journalists who got the information during a Ministry of National Defense (MND) briefing event decided to wait to publish it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the senior reporters said: \u2018Let’s do that at two. Yes, cool. Let’s go,\u2019\u201d the staffer recounted, to allow time for a mutually agreed lunch break. \u201cI was really shocked.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the embargoes, foreign media often encounter problems obtaining primary source information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, international media can find it almost impossible to obtain court documents from some jurisdictions that are easily accessible to local reporters. In addition, some ministries delay distributing statements or press releases to foreign journalists, with chatrooms for local reporters getting preference over those for foreign media.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’m very often surprised that most [ROK] government officials just don’t know about this,\u201d said the Korean staffer. \u201cThey just don’t understand why we have to have this two-tier system.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two-track system also creates burdens for professionals at the government level.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can’t publicize information in an effective, efficient way, as we have to have two sessions,\u201d said a former ministry spokesperson on condition of anonymity.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the ROK attracts growing global attention, and more international news organizations open bureaus in Seoul, the current system leaves much to be desired in light of the Yoon administration\u2019s goal for the ROK to become a \u201cglobal pivotal state.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI lived in the U.S. for years, and I never heard [of the government] trying to distinguish between foreign and U.S. media,\u201d a former Blue House official told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as you step into Korea, it\u2019s foreign and non-foreign,\u201d the former official continued. \u201c[So there\u2019s] a huge war between foreign and Korean media.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Andrew Salmon, a veteran Korea correspondent, also added that the problem \u201cebbs and flows from administration to administration.\u201d It cannot be defined as a \u201cleft-wing or right-wing\u201d issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

An illustration of a photographer | Image: Korea Pro<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

GOVERNMENT FEARS<\/b><\/p>\n

The two-track South Korean press access system is a hangover of a bygone era that has calcified and will be difficult to change due to resistance from local media, former spokespersons and press workers told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at how the \u201ckijadan\u201d is run and managed, I think it’s the same as how it\u2019s done in Japan,\u201d said a Korean reporter working at an international media outlet, talking on condition of anonymity due to not being permitted to provide comments to third-party media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have a lot of Japanese systems,\u201d echoed a correspondent at a Korean media outlet on condition of anonymity for the same reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the government can\u2019t seem to break the two-track system even if it wanted to.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the main stumbling block \u2026 is that local reporters on many government beats don’t want it [the two-track system to change], and they pressure the ministries [they\u2019re assigned to] not to allow it,\u201d said Mike Breen, who covered South Korea for decades as a journalist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other observers say government officials fear what might happen if they ignore local media outlets\u2019 demands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unnecessarily upsetting local media could have long-term consequences, the former Blue House official explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPublic opinion is often shaped by the media \u2014 and your role as press secretary is to do your best so that [negative trends] don\u2019t happen,\u201d they said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they would forgive it if it happened just once or twice, but treating foreign media equally for an extended period? No government or press secretary could bear [the consequences of doing] that. If the [local] press turns their back against the ministry, it can look like a war.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Former ROK President Park Geun-hye\u2019s fate is a clear case of why the government might be fearful of upsetting local media, explained the locally hired reporter at an international outlet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the local media decides as a cohort to screw the government, they could do it,\u201d the reporter said, citing the media\u2019s \u201cunited\u201d approach during the Choi Soon-sil <\/span>scandal of 2016<\/span><\/a> that eventually brought down the Park administration.<\/span><\/p>\n

The former Blue House official explained that those fears might not be unfounded, citing the experience of working with a presidential candidate who held a foreign media presser and revealed newsworthy remarks not previously shared with South Korean media.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImmediately after, I got so many complaints from local media outlets,\u201d the official said. \u201c\u2018How could a candidate running for Korean president disclose such news before doing so to the Korean media,\u2019 they asked.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

PROTECTING WHAT\u2019S THEIRS<\/b><\/p>\n

Interviews with current and former Korean correspondents shed light on why the South Korean press corps might take umbrage if the government leveled access with international media, with the issue coming down to protecting their interests and minimizing competition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo be part of the press corps, you must belong to a media outlet with a strong reputation or a legitimate media company,\u201d said Kim Han-ul, a Korean journalist who was part of the MND\u2019s “kijadan.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To obtain access to this club, the media outlet and reporter in question need to begin a meticulous, multi-prong effort to win the support of existing members.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to befriend the right people, befriend the ‘kansa’ \u2014 the press corps leader \u2014 who might then let you in by tweaking the votes or adding seats to the media corps,\u201d Kim continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once voted into this particular press corps, the media outlet or reporter must make regular payments to maintain a ministry desk area where the newly embedded journalist can work. \u201cYou have to show up a certain number of days for regular briefings,\u201d the locally hired reporter adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Members accepted into the “kijadan”<\/span> must also observe the media corps\u2019 internal rules, which include respecting the government’s and Korean press corps’ embargoes. Breaking these embargoes can result in fines and penalties.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, it\u2019s easy to see why there might be resistance to providing equal access to foreign press \u2014 especially if they do not adhere to the same norms. The uproar would be swift if ministry officials offered equal access to foreign media outlets. \u201cThe reaction from the local media would be obvious: \u2018Who are you to give them such an easy pass?\u2019\u201d said the locally hired reporter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kim, the former MND journalist, agreed that expanded competition might \u201cjeopardize\u201d the \u201cpositioning\u201d of Korean journalists within the domestic press corps pools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey don’t want to lose a scoop to a foreigner because their boss would be like, \u2018What were you doing? This foreigner wrote about the story,\u2019\u201d Kim said. \u201cIt would be an embarrassment if foreign press published a story before them [or] they didn\u2019t follow the embargoes as they do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But others disagreed, saying that individual Korean journalists could be happy to work alongside foreign media at ministry briefings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would be open to it \u2026 because I want to see a lot of things from other perspectives,\u201d said the correspondent at the Korean media outlet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And the Korean staffer now working at an international news agency agreed: \u201cKorean reporters \u2026 don’t necessarily accept the boundary separating local and international media.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

An illustration of a photographer and her mirror image | Image: Korea Pro<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

CULTURE, STAFFING AND DEMAND<\/b><\/p>\n

Other factors may be contributing to cementing the two-level access norm in South Korea, others interviewed by <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Firstly, former officials said that successive Korean governments tend to be more anxious about the second-order consequences of foreign media coverage than what comes after local media reporting.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPresidents and ministers are concerned about meeting with \u2026 foreigners in general,\u201d said the former Blue House official, arguing that inaccurate translation can sometimes lead to \u201cconsequences that can be severe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast, discussions with Korean journalists are more \u201ccomfortable,\u201d the former Blue House official continued because local reporters \u201cunderstand the underlying rationale\u201d and \u201cidea\u201d of what is being said.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Many others share this sentiment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen discussing sensitive topics, ministries avoid having interviews with the foreign press because there’s a higher possibility of being mistranslated or having their words taken out of context,\u201d said a former ministry spokesperson.<\/span><\/p>\n

Secondly, some government offices might refuse to engage with foreign media organizations simply due to staffing shortages. Requests must often be sent up the chain and approved by multiple layers of directors, which can be further complicated if it has to be done in a language other than Korean.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, some foreign media simply don\u2019t demand equal access. As some international bureaus in the ROK only have one or a few reporters, it would be impossible for foreign media outlets to attend briefings in the various ministries regularly, as required within the “kijadan” system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this light, Breen, the veteran reporter, noted that the two-track access system might not be a problem for all: \u201cI’m not convinced this is too much more than an annoyance for the foreign press.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, there have been cases of seats reserved for foreign media being wasted in the past, the former Blue House official said. The former ministry spokesperson said local reporters would find it unfair if the government provided equal access only for foreign reporters not to use it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Korean government and media companies must adopt more reasonable global standards,\u201d they explained. \u201cBut at the same time, once that privilege is given, the foreign press has to live up to the norms like any other Korean media.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

THE CURRENT SITUATION<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite the decades-long two-track access norm, no formal law or regulation justifies the government\u2019s current approach to press communications, <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> confirmed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a customary thing,\u201d said the former Blue House official. \u201cIf I open the code book, you can\u2019t find anything (justifying it).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But precisely because there is no formal law codifying the practice, the government denies there is any discrimination. \u201cThe official position is we never try to treat [media] differently,\u201d the former Blue House official said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidential office told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> it \u201cprovides equal access to information to domestic and foreign media without any discrimination.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ministry of Unification told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that there were \u201cno laws or mandates\u201d stipulating how it should support local versus foreign media queries but didn\u2019t control access to its back briefings.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Korea\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> it provides \u201ccustomized services\u201d to foreign media but that the \u201cphysical space\u201d at their building is \u201cprovided for the domestic press\u201d as \u201cdomestic correspondents to MOFA are covering MOFA full-time, unlike the foreign press, who cover all issues and all ministries in Korea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, an MND official said the ministry \u201chas never refused to allow foreign media outlets to participate\u201d in its press briefings. It specified that requests for briefing access could be facilitated between two and 24 hours ahead of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

But when <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> requested access to an MND briefing, an MND official responded: \u201cAttendance in the background briefing requires the cooperation of the press corps’ secretariat and the consent of all members of the press corps.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A WAY FORWARD?<\/b><\/p>\n

Even if most international media cannot meet the minimum attendance requirements of various South Korean press corps, there will always be times when equal access is vital.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, an outburst of hostilities between the Koreas, a spark of war in Taiwan, or a major opening of the DPRK economy would likely put pressure on international media outlets to rapidly focus on South Korea. In such cases, being able to attend the same briefings as Korean journalists would be vital for ensuring high-quality international coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n

What can be done to remedy the situation?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirstly, we need much more exposure [of the problem],\u201d said the former Blue House official. \u201cEvery time I speak to my friends in media, I always say: \u201cIt\u2019s your role to make this an issue. You, as a journalist, that\u2019s the power you have. Isn\u2019t it your role to correct it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If attention can lead to action, one option might be for the “kijadan” to offer limited but permanent spaces for foreign media in each ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Seoul Foreign Correspondents\u2019 Club (SFCC), which holds regular briefings for foreign media, allows a limited number of Korean journalists to attend its events, said the Korean staffer now working at an international news agency, offering a potential template for others to do the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA realistic and doable way could be to allow us to send a pooler or two,\u201d said the staffer. \u201cWe can send us a couple of reporters, and we can send [the transcripts] to everybody else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But despite the SFCC template, this might not sit well with the \u201ckijadan\u201d \u2014 for reasons previously described.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Kim Han-ul, the Korean journalistic solution would be to \u201ccreate a press corps for foreigners \u2026 [with] someone who speaks English to manage the foreign journalists so the message doesn\u2019t get lost in translation.\u201d But that is \u201cnot going to happen anytime soon,\u201d she added, \u201cbecause there\u2019s a conflict of interest, I think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the former ministry spokesperson pointed to a past precedent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike the ministries <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> focused on for this investigation, the Ministry of Economy and Finance allows foreign reporters to access background briefings \u2014 to work from within the ministry and to obtain primary source materials in real-time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo that’s an exception because the \u201ckijadan\u201d at the Ministry of Economy and Finance accepted [foreign media],\u201d the former spokesperson said, describing their approach as \u201ca global standard.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Asked to explain the context of its unique access offering, the ministry told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>: \u201cAny registered reporters, regardless of foreign or local media, can work from the ministry, receive press releases in advance and access back briefings and formal or informal press conferences.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the equal foreign-local access system has been in existence for over 30 years, the ministry added.<\/span><\/p>\n

But despite that precedent, the government appears to have little appetite to make substantial changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think nobody knows how to start,\u201d said the Korean staffer now working at an international news agency. \u201cNo one has dared to touch it\u2026 and no one can really figure out how.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, said the former Blue House official, things will change.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt some point, the government will realize there\u2019s no meaning in treating [the two sides] differently.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Yeji Chung<\/span><\/i> contributed reporting to this report. Edited by<\/em>\u00a0John Lee<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Culture & Society<\/span><\/a>Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Foreign media unable to access South Korean government ministries and excluded from background briefing opportunities. Artificial embargoes set by Korean reporters that delay the delivery of breaking news. Hurdles that complicate and in some cases prevent international media from obtaining primary source documents. 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