Reporters seek immediate removal of YTN president

Reporters at YTN and former journalists fired nine years ago are seeking to remove company President Cho Jun-hee. Reporters and producers issued a statement Friday demanding Cho’s resignation and the reinstatement of those dismissed in 2008 for striking after the management at the time allegedly forced them to give pro-government news coverage.

The move followed a similar statement issued by the National Union of Media Workers YTN branch, Wednesday.

The union criticized Cho’s earlier demand that the reporters’ reinstatement should be conditional upon changing the company’s retirement payment system. Appointed under the Park Geun-hye administration, Cho has also allegedly interfered in news reporting decisions, leading to viewership and revenue plummeting in recent years, it argued in the statement.

In an interview with The Korea Times, Hyun Duk-soo, one of the dismissed reporters, also spoke of the need for Cho’s resignation. According to Hyun, the company and the union had reached an agreement regarding the fired reporters until Cho raised the retirement fund issue.

Cho’s demand, he said, ignited a company-wide move urging him to resign. “All 26 of my colleagues have individually posted statements calling for Cho’s resignation,” Hyun said.

“Giving jobs back to the discharged reporters would be the first step to bring YTN back on its feet.” Hyun believes the entire media industry suffered a setback over the past 10 years of the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations.

“It’s not just about us. Restoring jobs will signal if we’re back on track to normalize the media industry,” he said.

He added that in the process of democratization, arrangements were made legally and within the company to ensure media independence from government influence. These arrangements fell apart during the conservative governments, he argued. Hyun expressed high hopes for President Moon Jae-in, whom he believes can restore such measures.

“He should take a clear stance, as he did during his presidential campaigns. He needs to stand by the rule of law and protect the freedom of the press, as he said he would do while swearing his oath.”

“His victory has given the country a new vibe. I think this will also spread to the media, and thereby bring positive change,” he added.

Throughout his campaign, Moon promised major reforms, including in the media.