The Arrest of Yet Another Journalist (Sung Sang-hoon) for Saying “Maybe He Died of Coronavirus”; More Suppression of YouTubers Expected
2020-5-13, Tara O
Sung Sang-hoon (성상훈), a journalist who runs the Global Defense News (글로벌디펜스뉴스) YouTube channel and website, was arrested and jailed on May 13, 2020.
His “crime” was saying the Chinese man, who fell over and died in early February in front of a public health clinic, may have died of Coronavirus. The suppression of YouTubers and journalists already began under the Moon administration, including demonetizing many of them, but some expect it will get worse, especially since the ruling party has won by a landslide in the April 2020 general election, which is itself a huge controversy in South Korea. While many YouTubers are covering the election fraud issue extensively, the mainstream media hardly prints or broadcasts this issue.
By the same token, none of the major media covered the arrest of Sung Sang-hoon. The news came from another YouTuber Dr. Lee Ae-ran, an escapee from North Korea. As she describes Sung’s arrest, she stated that the Moon government’s “suppression of patriotic YouTubers has finally become reality.” (0:23) The following summarizes her statements:
- She lamented that this government has been labeling conservative YouTubers’ content as “fake news.” In addition, National Assemblyman Kim Moo-sung (김무성) of the largest opposition United Future Party also stated on May 11, 2020, “from now on, I will fight the conservative YouTubers.” Soon after that, Dr. Lee said, Sung was arrested and taken to jail. The Gyeonggi Province Southern District Police Cyber Investigation team brought the arrest warrant to arrest Sung at his house in the early hours of May 13, 2020. He is currently being questioned in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. (0:36)
- She said according to Defense Global News, it received a news tip in early February that a Chinese man (Joseon-jeok–ethnic Korean Chinese), who was standing in front of a public clinic, suddenly fell over and died. Early February is when the Coronavirus started to come into South Korea. A neighborhood doctor told him that it looks like Coronavirus, so go to the public clinic right away. Thus, Sung raised the question: how can someone just fall down and die suddenly? Isn’t it Coronavirus? (1:57) For saying that, the Pyeongtaek City mayor Jeong Jang-sun (정장선), Deobureo Minjoo Party (Democratic Party of Korea) sued him. (2:30) Sung asked the case to be transferred to Seoul three times, since it is difficult for him to travel to Suwon, given that the Coronavirus is spreading rapidly, but instead, the Gyeonggi police came to arrest him. (2:36)
- Dr. Lee lamented that the media is under the government’s control, and the largest opposition party, United Future Party, does not criticize the suppression of the media. (3:55) Thus, she states that even when they hold a press conference at the National Assembly, the reporters at the National Assembly do not cover it; they do something else or fall asleep. (4:16)
Moon Jae-in “Fake News” is a “grave crime”
Pyeongtaek City mayor Jeong Jang-sun may be taking a cue from South Korean president Moon Jae-in. The Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, began to enter South Korea from China, in January 2020. On January 30, 2020 at his Coronavirus infection measures meeting, Moon told his cabinet officials that “fake news” about the Coronavirus is a “grave crime,” and will be dealt with “strictly” “swiftly and decisively.” Moon was criticized for ignoring the medical community’s advice and not banning entry from China during the critical period, when South Korea had no or a few infections. Instead, over 10,000 visitors from China entered South Korea daily. Yet strangely, none of the 10,000+ cases of SARS-COV-2 are attributed to China or those who visited China. Sung’s reporting that a Chinese, who fell and died suddenly, may have died due to the Coronavirus, therefore, highlights China as the source of the Coronavirus. The Blue House even told the Blue House correspondents as early as January 27, 2020 to use “new type of Coronavirus,” when the world’s headline used the “Wuhan Virus,” “Wuhan Pneumonia,” and “China Pneumonia,” which takes away the emphasis on China, and this was probably the first action the South Korean government took regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. Moon even said “China’s suffering is linked to our suffering” and “share our neighbor’s (China’s) suffering.” It is strange why South Koreans are not allowed to say anything that gives the impression that the Coronavirus came from China.
More suppression of YouTubers expected starting June 2020
Kim Shin-ae (김신애), who appeared on another YouTube channel Lee Bong-gyu TV, expressed her concern that the Korea Communications Commission will start suppressing YouTubers starting June, because the ruling party and its satellite party won a simple majority of 180 seats. (3:50) It is already difficult to stop the ruling party, but a United Future Party’s former leader (when the party was called Saenuri Party) under National Assemblyman Kim Moo-sung also joined in the ruling party and the Moon administration’s efforts to suppress YouTubers. Kim Moo-sung declared that he will fight against conservative YouTubers.” (0:56)
The majority of the media is under the control of the Moon government and the Moon administration-friendly National Union of Media Workers, which is under the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. In addition to the major broadcasters, Kim Shin-ae estimates the government controls about 80% of newspaper journalists, (4:10) and what is left are YouTubers, who the Moon government sees as thorns in its side. (4:23)
If the largest opposition party will not protect YouTubers and freedom of speech and press in South Korea, then who will?
Note: For more on suppression of the media under the Moon administration, see:
Moon Jae-in Government’s Problem of Broadcast Control and the Oppression of the KBX Board Member KAHNG Gyoo-hyoung (강규형); 문재인 정부의 방송장악 과정의 문제점과 KBS강규형 이사 탄압
A Hostile Takeover of MBC, a Major TV Broadcaster in South Korea
Suppression of Freedom of the Press in South Korea: What’s So Special About a Tablet PC that a Journalist is in Jail?
For A North Korean Defector Turned Journalist, Warming Ties Are Cause For Worry
Another Libel Lawsuit: Blue House Senior Official Cho Kuk Sues Journalist Woo Jong-chang for Libel
The Democratic Party of Korea Reviewing 198 videos for Legal Action to “Muzzle YouTubers to Save Cho Kuk”
More Libel Suits to Silence Critics: Cartoonist Yoon Seo-in, Journalist Kim Se-ui
South Korea’s KCSC Decides to Block YouTube Videos about North Korea’s Involvement in 5.18 (Gwangju Incident), Excluded Opposition Party-nominated Lee Sang-ro from Deliberation and Voting
Journalist preemptively jailed for libel in South Korea, a prosperous OECD country
Youtube Phenomena in South Korea: Demand for Freedom of Expression and the Efforts to Suppress it
Freedom of the Press Muzzled Again in South Korea: Shin In-kyun, a Youtuber and a Defense Analyst, Prevented from Appearing on Channel A
The Blue House Again Pressures the YouTubers who Raised Suspicion about “Moon’s Missing 5 hours during the Forest Fire,” Filing Charges in the name of the the Chief of Staff
“Liberal” South Korean government blocks filming of Thae Yong-ho’s speech; article reporting it vanished (Updataed)
Direct Suppression of YouTubers Beginning in South Korea?
Controversy over a Journalist’s Question to Moon: Not changing the economic policy despite people having difficulties. Where does such confidence come from?
South Korea Introduces Measures to Block YouTube, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Apple, Netflix
Concern raised over SKorean treatment of Bloomberg reporter
https://apnews.com/f8b5a3d8bd194a198e5ba2131ae0ef06
“Illegal Site Blocking?” South Korean Netizens Highly Concerned, Oppose “Internet Censorship”
Hwang Jang-soo’s News Briefing on YouTube Malfunctioning, Hacking?
