South Korea: Freedom of expression undermined as press freedom ranking drops and North Korean song banned

South Korea’s civic space is rated as ‘narrowed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Among the civic space concerns documented previously are the targeting of unions, restrictions and investigations of civil society groups working on North Korea, press freedom and the right to privacy.

In April 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s People Power Party (PPP) and its allied parties lost its parliamentary majority when it won just 108 seats in the 300-strong National Assembly. Following this he has vowed to undertake reforms of his administration.

An online petition was launched on five groups on 20th June 2024, demanding lawmakers impeach President Yoon and gained more than 1.4 million signatures from citizens. They include allegations of interference and corruption. The National Legislation and Judiciary Committee will review the petition. Following the hearing, the committee will decide whether to propose an impeachment motion in a plenary session. If the motion receives a two-thirds vote in the 300-member parliament, the Constitutional Court will rule on the case.

CIVICUS published a brief in June 2024 which highlighted the erosion of civic freedoms since President Yoon took office in May 2022, especially actions taken to stifle the media, freedom of expression and to target trade unions.

In recent months, South Korea dropped significant places in the global press freedom index rankings while access to a North Korean propaganda song was banned. The government backed down in suspending licences of striking doctors, while Samsung workers declared an indefinite strike.

Expression

Drop in global press freedom index rankings

South Korea dropped significantly to 62nd place in the annual Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Global Press Freedom Index, down from 47th place in 2023.

According to RSF, in May 2024, the current ruling People Power Party sued journalists for defaming President Yoon Suk-yeol while “regulations give the government the upper hand in the appointment of public broadcasters’ upper management, which can pose a threat to their editorial independence”. According to the latest survey by the Journalist Association of Korea (JAK), “more than half of the journalists expressed concerns about the decline in media freedom under the current administration.” Journalists accused of violating the National Security Act for disseminating sensitive information, particularly about North Korea, could face up to seven years in prison.

CIVICUS has also raised concerns that press freedom has deteriorated in South Korea, with raids on media outlets such as Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC) and online news outlet Newstapa as well as on the homes of journalists.

Access to North Korean propaganda song banned

In May 2024, South Korea’s media regulator banned access to a North Korean propaganda music video that it said idolised and glorified leader Kim Jong-un as a “great leader”.

The song titled Friendly Father was released on 17th April 2024 to celebrate the opening of a new 10,000-home development in Pyongyang. Its music video features North Korean soldiers, workers and students dancing and giving the thumbs up to a man held up as the father of the nation. It has become a social media hit around the world, going viral on short-form video app TikTok and other platforms.

The decision to ban the video was made after intelligence authorities asked for a review on whether it breached the National Security Act.

According to reports, it was banned under Article 44-7 (Prohibition on Circulation of Unlawful Information) of the Information and Communications Network Act. Under the Act, no one can circulate information with content displaying activity prohibited by the National Security Act through an information and communications network.

The regulator, Korea Communications Standards Commission, said in a statement: “The video is typical content linked to psychological warfare against South Korea, as it was posted on a channel operated to connect with the outside world and mainly focused on unilaterally idolising and glorifying Kim.”

The restrictive National Security Act has been continuously used as a means to censor and cast a chilling effect on those who exercise their right to freedom of expression. In November 2023, the UN Human Rights Committee stated that it remains concerned about prosecutions under the law and in particular under the excessively vague wording of Article 7 that bans ‘praising or propagating activities of any anti-state organisation’.

Association

Government backs down in suspending licences of striking doctors

On 8th July 2024, South Korean authorities said it would withdraw its earlier plan to suspend the licences of striking doctors as part of its efforts to resolve the country’s months-long medical impasse.

Since February 2024, more than 12,000 junior and trainee doctors have walked out on hospitals over the government's reform plans aimed at addressing a shortage of physicians in the nation by growing the number of doctors by up to 10,000 by 2035. Many reject the plan, set to begin in 2025, saying schools won’t be able to handle the increased flow and that the quality of the country’s medical services would suffer.

In April 2024, President Yoon called their walkouts “an illegal collective action” that poses "a grave threat to our society.” Yoon said the government was taking final administrative steps to suspend the licences of the strikers.

In June 2024, senior doctors and medical professors joined the protracted strike. On 18th June 2024 The Korean Medical Association (KMA) led a protest in Seoul with thousands of doctors. They included private practitioners who participated in a one-day solidarity strike.

Peaceful Assembly

Samsung workers declare an indefinite strike

On 7th June 2024, staff at Samsung Electronics declared an indefinite strike after a three-day walkout involving 6,000 workers failed to yield any ground in a tense dispute between workers and the tech giant over pay and bonuses.

Samsung has been locked in negotiations with the unions over pay since January 2024. The company has offered a 5.1 percent pay rise this year, while the union has said that it wants an additional day of annual leave as well as transparent performance-based bonuses.

The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) said that its 31,000 members — representing nearly a quarter of the company’s total workforce in the country — launched the indefinite strike on 10th July 2024, the largest labour action in the smartphone and chipmaking giant’s 55-year history.

On 19th July 2024, the company and the union agreed to resume negotiations and to set a firm negotiation schedule.