Seoul City Excludes MBC from Daily News Scans
Seoul City has officially removed MBC news reports its daily internal news compilation, citing biased and distorted reporting. This decision, communicated to city officials, specifically targets MBC’s coverage of the recent issues surrounding the GTX-A line’s Samseong Station construction and the discovery of missing structural components.
The exclusion comes just four days after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon publicly linked MBC’s reporting on the GTX-A incident to the opposition party and their mayoral candidate, Jung Won-oh. Mayor Oh suggested a “triangle relationship” between MBC, the Democratic Party, and Jung Won-oh’s campaign, implying a coordinated effort to leverage the construction issue for political gain during the recent mayoral election period.
Allegations of Biased Reporting and Damage to Reputation
During a press briefing, Seoul City spokesperson Lee Min-kyung stated that while the city respects the media’s critical function, MBC’s repeated reporting on the GTX-A component issue in May was deemed excessively repetitive. Lee argued that this coverage significantly eroded public trust in the Seoul Mayor and damaged the reputation of city officials.
The spokesperson further indicated that the city is taking the matter very seriously and plans to pursue strong legal and civil action in response to MBC’s reporting.
Context of the GTX-A Samseong Station Controversy
The controversy began on May 15th when MBC reported that approximately 2,570 structural components were missing from the GTX-A Samseong Station section before its construction completion. Subsequent reports focused on allegations that Seoul City had delayed reporting this fact to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for over half a year, and that Mayor Oh Se-hoon was responsible for construction and management oversight.
The Democratic Party had also intensified its criticism of Mayor Oh, questioning his accountability and whether he was aware of the missing components.
Mayor’s Stance on the Timing of the Revelation
Responding to questions at the Seoul City Council on June 11th, Mayor Oh Se-hoon suggested that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport may have leaked information about the missing components to the Democratic Party to benefit the election. He pointed out that the Ministry became aware of the issue in late April, and despite a trial run of the GTX-A line from May 4th to 19th with no safety concerns raised by the Ministry, MBC extensively reported on the missing components during the election period.
Mayor Oh characterized this as a clear demonstration of a “triangle relationship” where MBC raises an issue, the Democratic Party amplifies it, and Candidate Jung’s campaign utilizes it for electoral advantage.
Future of MBC’s Inclusion
A Seoul City official stated that a definitive timeline for when MBC might be reinstated in the news compilation has not yet been determined. Reports suggest MBC intends to protest the city’s action, viewing it as an attempt to suppress media criticism through administrative means.
