Government bans NK defector-turned-journalist from reporting in Panmunjeom

The Unification Ministry on Monday told a journalist who had defected from North Korea that he is not allowed to cover the inter-Korean high-level talks scheduled later in the day at Panmunjeom.

Journalists from four news organizations were set to cover the event on behalf of the South Korean Joint Press Corps, but one of them -- Kim Myung-sung of Chosun Ilbo -- was excluded just an hour before his scheduled departure from Seoul.

The ministry said at 6:30 a.m. on Monday that it would exclude Chosun Ilbo from the group of pool reporters if the newspaper does not replace Kim with another reporter, just an hour before the South Korean delegation was set to leave Seoul.

On the reason for excluding Kim, a ministry official said, “The high-level talks will be held in a limited space, and Kim is widely known for his activities. Rather than restricting the press, we are asking for cooperation as we believe it is a necessary measure under such special circumstances.”

Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon met with Kim at around 7:15 a.m. and told him that the decision was made “in consideration of various situations,” and that he would take responsibility for it.

He told the pool reporters before they left the South-North Dialogue Headquarters in Seoul that the ministry made the judgment in consideration of the various circumstances as the high-level talks are being held at Panmunjeom.

The ministry confirmed its decision had nothing to do with the North.

“The North has not made any objections,” a ministry official said. “(The ministry) made our own decision.”

In response to a question as to whether defectors from the North will continue to be banned from going to the North to report in the future, Cho said, “We cannot give you answers about presumptions.”

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)