Media Today's article looking at Lee Gye-deok's fight for justice after being defamed in an anti-gay advertisement posted throughout Seoul's public transportation system is a great read. It was a bit very difficult to translate, so please comment if you have any corrections you'd like to make with my translation.
경향‧국민‧한국‧동아‧문화일보등몇몇언론사들이동성애반대광고를실었다광고안에허위사실이포함됐다는이유로소송을당했다.
Kyunghyang, Kookmin, Hankook, Donga, Munhwa Ilbo, and other media companies are facing a lawsuit in response to an anti-homosexual advertisement due to its alleged falsehoods.
지난 25일경향신문 15면에는‘동성애차별금지조항’이서울시민인권헌장에포함되는것에반대한다는광고가실렸다. 참교육어머니전국모임, 나라사랑학부모회, 바른교육교사연대, 서울시유권자연맹등시민단체들이실은광고였다.
On the 25th on the 15th page of Kyunghyang Newspaper a anti-gay advertisement was published alongside the anti-discrimination clause of the Seoul Citizen Human Right's Charter. The ad was sponsored by citizen groups including Mothers Across the Country for Real Education, Country Love PTA, Right Education Teacher Solidarity, and the Seoul Voter Federation.
문제는광고안의‘동성애편드는서울시장’이라는대목이다. 이광고는“박원순시장은동성애자인이계덕기자에게서울시내에동성애차별금지광고를할수있도록직접방법을안내해줬다”고주장했다. 이광고는 25일자국민일보, 한국일보, 동아일보, 문화일보, 중앙일보에도실렸다.
The problem was the advertisement's title: "Seoul's Mayor on the Side of Homosexuality". The advertisement asserted that "Mayor Park Won-soon directly guided homosexual journalist Lee Gye-deok in order to advertise against homosexual discrimination in Seoul". This advertisement appeared on Kookmin, Hankook, Donga, Munhwa Ilbo, Jungang Ilbo, and other media companies on the 25th.
당사자인이계덕기자(신문고뉴스)는이같은내용이허위사실이라며 26일오전해당언론사들에대해민사소송(명예훼손)을걸었다. 개인의사생활영역에해당하는‘동성애자’라는사실과실명, 직업을공개한채‘박원순시장이차별금지광고를할수있도록직접방법을안내해줬다’는허위사실을게재하였고, 이광고를게재하면서당사자에게확인조차하지않았다는것이이유였다. 이계덕기자는광고주인시민단체들에대해서는형사소송(명예훼손)을걸었다.
Lee Gye-deok (Shinmun News) said that these contents were falsehoods and on the morning of the 26th brought the media corps to civil court for libel. He stated as reasons the fact that they used the word homosexual with his real name, they published his workplace, included the falsehood that "Mayor Park Won-soon directly guided homosexual journalist Lee Gye-deok in order to advertise against homosexual discrimination in Seoul", and while printing this information they did not check with the party concerned. Lee Gye-deok is also filing a criminal suit against the citizen groups that created the ads.
이기자는계획대로지하철에“어떤사람은동성애자죠! 받아들여요”라는내용의광고를게시하기위해도시철도공사에문의했다가반려를당한다. 그러자이기자는도시철도공사의상위기구인서울시청을상대로민원을제기했고, 박원순시장이름으로 4월 19일이메일답변을받는다.
Reporter Lee sent an inquiry to the Urban Railway Corporation to post an advertisement stating 'Some people are gay! Get over it!' in the metro, but it was rejected. Then, he went to a higher official at the Seoul City Office with a civil complaint; on the 19th of April he received a response from Seoul's Mayor, Park Won-soon.
박원순서울시장은답변에서“지하철운영기관은지방공기업법에따라설립된지방공사로써광고등과같은부대사업에대해서는사장의책임하에독립경영하고있으며, 서울지하철전동차및역구내에부착된상업광고는전문광고대행사가광고대행권을행사하고있다”며“공사가수행하는업무가명백히법령등에위반되지않는경우업무에간여하지않고있다”고밝혔다.
Mayor Park's responded by writing "The subway's management companies act by the Local Public Enterprises Act and the advertisements of established local public companies are individually managed by the respective boss of subsidiary enterprises; the advertisements are controlled by advertisements companies who determine what is posted" and "Public companies duties are clearly stated through legislation and there is no need for government participation in circumstances without violation."
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| The Letter from Park Won-soon to Lee Gye-deok |
이후이기자는광고를위해종로구청에현수막게시대사용을신청했고, 5월 2일구청은지정게시대에광고게시를허가했다. 5월 4일박원순서울시장은다시한번이기자가제기한 민원에대해답장을보낸다. “서울시나구청현수막게시대건은현재서울시차원에서운영하고있는별도의지정게시대는없지만, 시민들이개별적인광고를하실수있도록 25개자치별로유료지정현수막을설치운영하고있다”는내용이다..
After this, Reporter Lee applied at Jongno Gu Office for permission to hang up a banner and on the 2nd of May was given permission to put up the advertisement. On the 4th of May, Mayor Park sent another response to the civil complaint. The contents stated "In regard to the Seoul City or Disctrict Office Posting Area: Currently Seoul does not designate a place for the maintenance of banners, but citizens are allowed to post and maintain banners autonomously within the 25 districts."
이기자는소장에서“원론적인질문에대한대답을한것에불과하며‘직접안내’에해당하지도않는다”고밝혔다. 또한박원순시장이광고현수막에대해밝히기전인 5월 2일이미종로구청이해당광고게재를허가했다.
Reporter Lee's revealed that "While he (Mayor Park) may have theoretically answered the question, saying he 'directly guided' is not applicable." Furthermore, before providing the information about the banner, Jongno District Office had already given permission for the advertisement on the 2nd of May.
그렇다면광고를게재한시민단체들은어떤근거로박원순시장이차별금지광고방법을‘직접안내’했다고주장하는것일까. 근거는 2012년 5월 13일자국민일보기사<동성애편드는서울시>로, 해당광고에는이기사가인용돼있다. 국민일보는이기사에서“광고를하기전동성애에대한서울시의입장을서울시에물었고, 박원순시장명의의전자문서답변에따라광고를하게됐다”는이계덕기자의말을인용한다.
However, on what basis are the citizen groups using to say that Park Won-soon directly played a role in the manner in which the anti-discrimination advertisements were placed? The grounds for their argument come from a quote by Lee in an article published on the 13th of May 2012 by Kookmin Ilbo. Kookmin Ilbo quoted Lee Gye-deok as stating 'Before posting the advertisement, we asked for the position of Seoul City on homosexuality; the advertisement was made in accordance with an electronic document response including Mayor Park Won-soon's name.'
하지만이계덕기자는애초에이기사자체에문제가있다고지적했다. 국민일보와인터뷰에서‘박원순시장의명의의전자문서답변에따라광고를하게됐다’고말한적이없다는것. 이계덕기자는 26일미디어오늘과통화에서“5월 13일기사가나가고국민일보에항의했는데, 어쨌든박시장이광고에대해설명한것은사실아니냐고하더라. 기사에대해서는더이상터치하지않았다”며“모든기사가다사실이아니고이미해명도나왔는데광고에그걸그대로싣는다는것은말이안된다”고말했다.
당시서울시도해명자료를냈다. 서울시는“민원에대한답변으로광고게시에대한일반적인사항을확인하도록한것”이라며“‘서울시가동성애를편들고있다’는보도는사실과다르다”고밝혔다.
However, Lee Gye-deok pointed out from the beginning that this article itself was problematic. In the interview with Kookmin Ilbo, he says he never said that "the advertisement was made in accordance with an electronic document response including Mayor Park Won-soon's name." On the 26th through a call with Media Today, he stated "On May 13th I filed a complaint with the Kookmin Ilbo's article, anyhow saying the way they explained the situation with Mayor Park and the advertisement wasn't the truth. They didn't want to touch the article anymore." Furthermore, Lee said "It's absurd to carry a story that all the reporters had already elucidated was not the truth." At that time Seoul city also provided clear information. The city said "In response to the civil case on posting advertisements the situation was treated normally" and that "The report that "Seoul is on the side of homosexuality" differs from the truth."
The press corps is taking the position that overseeing the contents of an advertisement is difficult. A person connected to Kookmin Ilbo's Missionary Information Sector revealed "If it were an article it may matter, but an advertiser made this, not us." In the same way, Kyeonghyang Newspaper answered "I don't know where the advertiser is or in detail what kind of work the advertising agency does" and "While common-sense could be used to filter out certain parts, as it is an advertisement it will be difficult to find."
하지만이계덕기자는허위사실을포함한광고의경우이를내보낸언론사에게도책임이있다고말한다. 이기자는소장에서“보도의경우언론중재위원회‘정정보도청구’ 절차등을통해반론또는정정등의구제절차가있으나광고는구제대상에포함되지않아광고를통한허위사실이유포되는경우손해배상청구외에는구제방법이없으므로피해가심각하다”고밝혔다.
However, Reporter Lee Gye-deok states that to some extent it is their responsibility for including falsehoods in their advertisements. In his petition he states "In the case of a report, there exists a process through the Press Arbitration Commission to examine what needs to be corrected through counter-argument and modification, but advertisements are not included in that specific procedure so if falsehoods are circulated through advertisement there is no way to address the situation other than claiming for damages. This is a serious problem."
이기자는또한“반론을게시하기위해서는동일한방법의지면광고를해야하는데, 돈이없는경우‘사실을바로잡기위해’ 많은시간과노력을기해야한다”며“허위정보를신문에게시하는대가로광고비용을받는등영리를취하였기에배상책임이있다”고강조했다.
Furthermore, Reporter Lee emphasizes that "In order to post counter-arguments you need to advertise in the same way, but if you don't have money 'to rectify the situation' requires a lot of time and effort" and "They are responsible since they got the advertisement commission with the posting of this falsehood."
조윤호 기자의 트위터를 팔로우 하세요. @ jobonzwa
Furthermore, Reporter Lee emphasizes that "In order to post counter-arguments you need to advertise in the same way, but if you don't have money 'to rectify the situation' requires a lot of time and effort" and "They are responsible since they got the advertisement commission with the posting of this falsehood."
조윤호 기자의 트위터를 팔로우 하세요. @ jobonzwa