"Flood of Articles on Accusations...
No Coverage on Dismissals or Acquittals"
Cho Kuk, leader of the Innovation Party of Korea, criticized the media. He pointed out that the media have failed to report the fact that the allegations of illegal activity raised against his daughter, Cho Min, and the cosmetics company she operates, were found to be untrue.
On December 12, Cho wrote on Facebook, "Although this concerns my child, I must say something." He continued, "When an unidentified person accused 'Serolabs,' which my daughter founded and operates, of violating the Electronic Commerce Act, numerous media outlets published a flood of articles." He added, "Afterwards, my daughter and her company faced a barrage of criticism and attacks."
Cho also stated, "There was another accusation that my daughter's red ginseng advertisement violated the Food Labeling and Advertising Act, and the same thing happened. I assume that both cases negatively affected business operations. Naturally, my daughter, who became the subject of investigation, had to hire a lawyer."
He went on to say, "After an investigation, the police decided not to refer the case regarding the alleged violation of the Electronic Commerce Act, either dismissing it or determining that no crime had been committed. The prosecution also cleared her of charges regarding the alleged violation of the Food Labeling and Advertising Act." He emphasized, "Yet, not a single article reports these outcomes."
Cho commented, "The motives of those who abuse the reporting system are obvious. There is no way to stop them." He added, "However, the media should at least maintain a minimum standard of mechanical neutrality in their reporting. Shouldn't they report dismissals, findings of no crime, and acquittals in the same number and volume as the initial accusations?"
Mr. Cho Min is emphasizing his innocence through the story feature on his Instagram account. Screenshot from Mr. Cho Min's Instagram
Cho Min also stated through her Instagram story that the cosmetics company she operates was booked by the police on suspicion of violating the Electronic Commerce Act, but the case was dismissed. She added, "To the journalists who reported the allegations, I hope you will write follow-up articles this time."
She further emphasized that she had been referred to the prosecution on suspicion of violating the Food Labeling and Advertising Act due to a red ginseng advertisement she ran on her YouTube channel last year, but was cleared of all charges. She said, "Please write about this too," and added, "It's been a while since the prosecution issued a final acquittal, but there hasn't been a single article. Journalists report only the allegations to get more clicks, frame people in a negative light, and then, if it seems unprofitable, they don't do any follow-up reporting. Maybe that's why people have a negative perception of journalism as a profession."
Last month, Serolabs was reported to the police for allegedly omitting some product information notices during online sales. In addition, in November 2023, a red ginseng advertisement video posted on her YouTube channel was reported for allegedly violating the Food Sanitation Act. In March 2024, the police referred the case to the prosecution, stating that her comment in the video-"I took it consistently for about a month, and it definitely seems to have improved my immunity"-could potentially mislead consumers. After about one year and nine months, the prosecution ruled that there were no grounds for charges in this case.
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