"Internet Media Outlet 'Threatened' with Article"... Civil Society Groups Call for Investigation

[Financial News Gunsan = Reporter Kang In] A complaint has been filed against a reporter who demanded money using articles as leverage after establishing an online media outlet.
According to the police on the 2nd, a former city council member filed a complaint with the police against reporter A of an internet media company on charges of attempted extortion and defamation.
It is said that he demanded money using an article exposing his private life as leverage.
In this regard, the Jeonbuk Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media issued a statement on the same day criticizing the situation, stating, "Mr. A pressured the media company to deposit money into its corporate account on the condition of deleting the article and halting follow-up reporting," and adding, "This is a typical example of 'financial transactions mediated by critical articles,' which has been pointed out as the most serious problem even within the media industry."
It is reported that Mr. A met with former city council member Mr. B and tried to persuade him by saying, "To be frank, everyone does it that way—I'll take that (criticism article) down and sponsor our media outlet a bit." He even proposed a specific method, saying, "If you visit the website, the corporate account will appear, so deposit it under someone else's name. If you send a text message, I will verify it and take down the article immediately."
Jeonbuk Citizens' Coalition for Media Reform argued, "It can be seen that the requirement of 'notification of harm,' which is a condition for attempted extortion and attempted coercion under the Criminal Act, is satisfied," adding, "Considering the structure of a one-person media company registered with a single director on the registry, the demand for deposit into the corporate account can be interpreted as attempted bribery in breach of trust aimed at practically obtaining personal gain for the reporter."
At the same time, stating, "The fundamental reason the Constitution and laws guarantee and support the activities of the press is to ensure the proper functioning of democracy," they urged investigative agencies to conduct a thorough investigation.
[email protected] Kangin Reporter