Rebuttal to Unauthorized Use of JCS Video
North Korean Media Uses Footage Without Source Acknowledgment
Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, rebutted on the 18th the criticism that North Korean media used unauthorized captured images from videos filmed by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In a statement reported by the Korean Central News Agency on the same day, Kim said, "We used a photo taken from a scene in videos reported by global media such as the US NBC, Fox News, and the UK Reuters," and asked, "What is wrong with that?" She added, "We cannot film from such an angle (from south to north), and the composition is visually appealing and fits our intention well, so we used it."
Kim Yo-jong's claim is that there is no problem because the footage was used from broadcasts or news agencies in the US and UK, but these foreign media clearly stated the source and used videos provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in their reports. Ultimately, the North Korean media, which reported without citing the source, effectively misappropriated the Joint Chiefs of Staff footage without permission.
Earlier, North Korea reportedly used unauthorized footage filmed by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) when reporting on the demolition of certain sections of the inter-Korean connecting roads on the Gyeongui and Donghae lines on the 15th. The Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun published three photos on the 17th, one of which appears to be a screen capture from the JCS footage due to the identical angle and content.
Lee Sung-jun, the JCS Public Affairs Officer, said at a regular press briefing the previous day, "We are considering the possibility that North Korea used the footage released by the JCS without authorization," adding, "They must inform their residents, but perhaps they could not take photos in that area or the photos came out poorly."
He further explained, "North Korean society does not properly apply international law, so they may disregard such things (copyright violations)." Regarding North Korea's claim that the demolition of the Gyeongui and Donghae lines was an 'inevitable and lawful measure,' he said, "That is a unilateral claim by North Korea."
North Korea recently claimed that South Korean drones infiltrated Pyongyang on the 3rd, 9th, and 10th to distribute leaflets, but the military maintains an official stance of "unable to confirm the facts."
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