People Power Party: "MBC's demand for Kim Geon-hee's interview and broadcast outline is unreasonable"

"MBC, Coordinating Timing to Release Recordings from December"
Claims of 'Lack of Practical Right to Rebuttal' Also Raised

Kim Geon-hee, the spouse of Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is issuing a statement regarding allegations of false credentials at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 26th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] The People Power Party strongly criticized MBC, which announced a report on part of the '7-hour phone call transcript' of Kim Gun-hee, spouse of presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, calling it "a 'collusion between media and informant 2' incident with MBC and informant X, clearly intending election interference." They claimed that MBC's refusal to provide a broadcast outline prevented effective exercise of the right to rebuttal.

Lee Yang-su, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party's election campaign headquarters, stated in a commentary on the 16th, "The People Power Party's campaign headquarters and Representative Kim Gun-hee formally requested MBC in writing yesterday to provide a 'broadcast outline' to ensure effective rebuttal rights."

Lee said, "MBC is insisting that Representative Kim must participate in an interview before they disclose the broadcast outline," adding, "If they refuse to reflect rebuttals in the broadcast using various excuses, it would violate the 'basic mission of the press' and 'journalistic ethics.'"

He also referred to Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, saying, "Does MBC conduct investigations in this manner when covering suspicions about candidate Lee Jae-myung and his spouse?" He urged, "MBC must stop and correct this broadcasting behavior that sides with certain forces, disguises itself as public-interest reporting, participates in character assassination, and attempts to interfere in the election."

Furthermore, Lee speculated that MBC coordinated the timing of releasing the transcript. He said, "At least since last December 12, MBC reporter Jang In-su has had the audio file," and questioned, "If their intention was purely to guarantee the public's right to know, why did MBC not report immediately and instead chose a two-week period just before the Lunar New Year holiday close to the presidential election?"

He criticized, "I feel not only anger but also sadness that public broadcaster MBC aided such a disgusting crime. Freedom of the press and reporting is not meant to protect such acts."

Meanwhile, on the same night, MBC's investigative program 'Straight' is scheduled to release the transcript of phone calls between Kim and Mr. A, the person in charge of filming for the YouTube channel 'Seoul's Voice,' recorded from July to December last year.