Presidential Office: "MBC Repeatedly Engages in Biased and Distorted Reporting"
On the 16th, one day before President Yoon Suk-yeol's 100th day in office, the Presidential Office building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul is shown. President Yoon, emphasizing the elimination of authoritarianism, moved the stage of state affairs from the former Blue House to Yongsan. With the president's office relocated to Yongsan, the Blue House has been fully opened to the public. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the night of the 9th, two days before President Yoon Seok-yeol's departure for his Southeast Asia tour, the Presidential Office notified MBC reporters that they would not be allowed to board the 'Presidential Aircraft.'
According to the Presidential Office and MBC, the Presidential Office stated, "Boarding the presidential aircraft has been provided as a convenience for coverage related to diplomatic and security issues. However, considering MBC's repeated distorted and biased reports on diplomatic matters recently, we have decided not to provide this convenience. This denial of boarding is an unavoidable measure to prevent such distorted and biased broadcasts."
In response, MBC issued a separate statement, protesting that this is a "clear restriction on press coverage." MBC also emphasized, "If boarding the presidential aircraft is denied, MBC reporters will ensure to cover the events on-site by alternative means of transportation."
President Yoon will visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Bali, Indonesia, sequentially from the 11th to the 16th to attend multilateral meetings such as the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and the G20 Summit.
The president typically uses the Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, for overseas trips. Accordingly, the press corps submits their passports to the Presidential Office in advance and pays the required fees to board together.
The Presidential Office sent an official letter to MBC requesting an explanation regarding the circumstances of a report, claiming that MBC distorted President Yoon's remarks at the '7th Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund' held in New York at the end of September. MBC expressed regret over this.
At that time, President Yoon was caught on camera saying, "If these XX in the National Assembly don't approve it, what will OOO be embarrassed about?" Some media outlets reported that 'OOO' referred to 'Biden,' but the Presidential Office clarified, based on voice analysis, that it was 'nallimyeon' (meaning 'if it is dropped').
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