국제기자연맹(IFJ·International Federation of Journalists)이 KBS와 MBC의 공영방송 정상화 투쟁에 강력한 연대의 뜻을 전했다.

 

IFJ는 지난 13일 공식 홈페이지를 통해 KBS와 MBC의 총파업 소식을 자세히 전하며 “독립성을 위한 중대한 언론 투쟁에서 한국의 공영방송을 수호하기 위해 싸우는 한국의 동료들과 함께 연대한다”고 밝혔다.

 

IFJ는 “공영방송은 강력한 민주주의의 기본원칙과 언론의 자유 원칙을 지키는 데 있어 중요한 역할을 수행한다. 특히 공영방송 언론인들은 공영방송이 정부의 대변자가 되어선 안 된다는 이상과 권리를 강력하게 수호하고 있다”면서 “우리는 오늘도, 내일도, 이 상황이 해결될 때까지 이들을 전적으로 지지하며, 정부 및 KBS와 MBC 경영진에게 이 문제와 언론인들의 우려사항을 해결해 줄 것을 촉구한다”고 밝혔다.

 

IFJ는 이 글에서 파업의 원인과 진행 상황, 공영방송 구성원들의 요구를 상세히 전했다. IFJ는 “이번 파업은 한국의 양대 공영방송인 KBS와 MBC의 방송독립 침해가 계속 증가하면서 초래됐다”면서 “KBS와 MBC 구성원들은 KBS 고대영 사장과 MBC 김장겸 사장의 사퇴와 언론의 정치적 독립을 요구하고 있다”고 전했다. 또 이번 파업에 3800명의 언론인이 참여해 방송이 취소되거나 촬영이 중단되었다고 설명했다.

 

또한 IFJ는 한국기자협회(회장 정규성)가 지난달 4일 발표한 ‘공영방송 정상화 파업 지지 성명’을 인용하며 “한국기자협회의 노력을 지지한다”고 밝혔다. 기자협회는 당시 성명에서 △고대영 사장과 김장겸 사장의 즉각 사퇴 △부당 징계자 및 해직자 원상복직 등을 촉구하며 “한국기자협회는 총파업에 나선 공영방송 동료들과 끝까지 함께 할 것”이라고 밝힌 바 있다.

 

한편 IFJ는 1952년 창설된 국제언론기구로 140개 국 약 60만 명의 기자들이 회원으로 가입해 있다. 한국기자협회는 1966년 5월 정회원으로 가입했다.

 

다음은 IFJ 홈페이지에 올라온 글 전문이다.

 

http://www.ifj.org/nc/news-single-view/browse/1/backpid/51/article/korean-public-broadcast-journalist-strike/

 

Korean public broadcast journalists strike

 

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Journalists’ Association of Korea (JAK) in supporting the efforts of over 3,000 journalists at South Korea’s public broadcasters who have been in an ongoing strike since Monday, September 4. The IFJ and JAK call on the management at KBS and MBC to start immediate discussions with staff and the unions to resolve journalist concerns over perceived management pressure and interference in reporting.

 

On Wednesday, August 30, the National Union of Media Workers’ – KBS branch and MBC branch declared that they would be strike on Monday, September 4, and Thursday, September 7, respectively. The KBS branch and the KBS labor union originally voted to strike in November 2016 but temporarily halted the strike in February 2017, while giving the KBS committee the power to reinstate the strike as needed. The MBC branch met on August 30, where 93.2% of members, the highest consent rate ever for the union, voted in favor of the strike.

 

The strike comes as staff at Korea Broadcasting Service (KBS) and Munhwa Broadcasting Company (MBC) – the two largest public broadcasting services in Korea – grow increasingly frustrated at attacks on the broadcaster’s editorial independence. KBS and MBC staff are calling for KBS CEO Ko Dae-young and MBC CEO Kim Jang-kyum to resign and restore the political independence of the media operations. Over 3,800 journalists, 2,000 from MBC and 1,800 from KBS have been involved in the strike since early September, which has led to programs been cancelled and filming on several productions halted.

 

In the first week of the strike, a warrant for MBC president, Kim Jang-gyeom was issued after he refused to attend questioning by the labor ministry on unfair labor practices at MBC. The labor ministry launched a special investigation of MBC’s labor practices in June. On September 28, the labor ministry asked the prosecution to indict six former and incumbent MBC senior officials over alleged unfair labor practices against its union.

 

JAK issued a statement supporting the actions of KBS and MBC staff. In the statement, JAK reiterated the recommendations of KBS and MBC staff including:

President Koh Dae-Young and President Kim Jang-Kyum shall immediately resign for normalization of public broadcasting stations.

Colleagues who were unfairly disciplined or dismissed shall immediately recover their positions.

The Journalists Association of Korea will support members of public broadcasting stations who went on a general strike.

 

The IFJ said: “We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Korea, who are fighting to defend the country’s public broadcasters in a critical media battle for independence. Public broadcasters play a vital role in upholding the principles of freedom of expression and the fundamentals of a strong democracy – most importantly, these journalists are strongly defending the rights and the ideal that a public broadcast can never become a mouthpiece of the government. Our colleagues in South Korea have a strong and vibrant trade union history and have put their livelihoods on hold to take this necessary action. We give our full support to them today and tomorrow and until this situation can be resolved and call on the government and management at KBS and MBC to bring this issue to a close and resolve journalist concerns.”

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