Christian Broadcasting System (CBS) ordered to pay damages of 50 million Korean Won (c.£35,000)
CBS’
reporter Jooyeol Song had reported that Pastor Heewan Joh was a ‘Me-Too’
assailant following claims made by Ms. A to CBS that she had suffered as his
victim - an allegation that was found to be false by the police. On July 31st
2017, Seoul Southern District Court issued Ms. A with a summary order for
defamation of Pastor Joh on the grounds of false allegations. Ms. A demanded a
formal trial in August, but the judge ruled in his favour, ordering Ms. A to pay
him 2 million Korean Won in damages. The case was closed and Ms. A didn’t lodge
a further appeal. It was only in 2018, when the ‘Me-Too’ campaign drew
attention, that CBS re-published the above report.
Separate
to this case, Pastor Joh had sued Ms. A for defamation and demanded a temporary
restraining order. The Masan branch of Changwon District Court quoted Pastor Joh
as saying: “A broken woman should not be
permitted to spread such disinformation to others at will, post it on the
internet, report it to the press or let others do the same.”
Regarding
this matter, the department of justice ruled that “Prior to the broadcast, the defendant, Jooyeol Song, asked the
plaintiff (Pastor Heewan Joh) about allegations of sexual assault. The
following day, the plaintiff responded by reminding her about his demand for a temporary
restraining order and the court’s subsequent ruling”. He said, ‘Investigative agencies and the court
proved such allegations to be false’”, and, “Reporter Jooyeol Song and CBS reported
the news immediately after the plaintiff’s appeal against such allegations of
sexual assault.”
Seoul
Southern District Court explained “Based
on the decision to issue a temporary restraining order and the court’s ruling between
the plaintiff and Ms. A, it is logical for one to confirm that these
allegations of sexual assault by Ms. A were false. Moreover, the temporary
restraining order was issued to prohibit the media from reporting about it”;
and “If a reporter or the press wishes to
report facts contrary to those accepted by the established criminal court, it
must secure sufficient objective and reliable evidence to overturn these facts.”
And
the court highlighted, in particular, that “If
a report can cause irreparable damage to one’s honor and personality through
allegations such as sexual assault, reporters and the press must first set very
strict standards, ensuring that they carry out sufficient investigations to find
evidence to verify the credibility of these facts, instead of being vaguely
convinced by them based on rumour or statements by people with conflicting
interests.”
The
department of justice added: “Statements
by people who once belonged to Sanchang church, presented by CBS and its reporter,
cannot be used as a basis to support the credibility of allegations of sexual
assault against the plaintiff without sufficient, objective and reliable evidence.
There is no evidence of sufficient and appropriate investigation having been
carried out by CBS and its reporter, Jooyeol Song, to warrant the broadcast and
reporting of this incident.” They went on to say, “As a religious man with high morals and ethics, the plaintiff has been
severely dishonored because of the broadcast and reports. Moreover, he is now
subject to considerable limitations with regards his social movements, and has
been expelled from his presbytery. CBS and its reporter Jooyeol Song reported the
plaintiff’s full name and church without first reporting any objective evidence
to support its explanation of the plaintiff according to the preceding court
sentence.” The plaintiff suffered mental distress, societal exclusion and violation
of personal rights and, in the words of the court ruling, “Reporter Jooyeol Song and CBS jointly bear the responsibility for paying
compensation to the plaintiff.”
In
other news, global media coverage of the death of Ms. Ji-In Gu from the religious
“coercive conversion” programme established and implemented by pastors of the
Christian Council of Korea (CCK) is now reaching ears all over the world. CBS
is a key ally of the CCK and, recently, they jointly slandered Shincheonji
Church of Jesus through an eight-part documentary which the Supreme Court later
ruled as false and groundless with harsh penalties imposed. It is only a matter
of time before CBS and CCK crumble and the CCK’s congregation members come out
and learn the correct understanding of the Christian scripture.
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