A media organization said, "Declaring martial law is a crime..."President Yoon will step down immediately."

[Anchor]
Media organizations held an emergency press conference and expressed their position on the emergency situation.

He called for Yoon Suk Yeol's immediate resignation, saying the declaration of emergency martial law was a clear crime, and if he refused, he should pursue impeachment.

I'm reporter Lee Kyung-guk.

[Reporter]
In front of the sculpture of the Korea Press Center, which symbolizes freedom of speech, nine media industry organizations, including the Korea Press Association, gathered.

In an emergency press conference, the groups criticized Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law as a clear crime against history and democracy.

[Yoon Chang-hyun / Chairman of the National Press Workers' Union: It was a coup for the purpose of civil war, which was a reference to martial law. It was an attempt to return to dictatorship marked by illegality and anti-constitution.

He then demanded that President Yoon step down immediately, saying he could no longer leave his sovereignty to President Yoon, who trampled on the basic rights of the people and the constitutional order.All those who participated in the declaration of the
martial law should be arrested and investigated.

[Jeon Dae-sik / Senior Vice Chairman of the Korean Press Union: Despite their silence on critical media, Korean journalists have given Yoon Suk Yeol the title of president because they are entrusted with the sovereignty of the people. From this point on, Yoon Suk Yeol is no longer the president of the Democratic Republic. Yoon Suk Yeol, step down from the presidency and be brought to justice before all.]

[Park Jong-hyun / Chairman of the Korea Press Association: Those who failed to control and were ordered, or those who reported, should be impeached and investigated in custody.]

{계}The martial law command controls all media and publications', but he strongly criticized it, saying that he was trying to cover the mouth of the whole nation.

[Na Joon-young / President of the Korea Film Reporters Association: I was really embarrassed by the fact that I wanted to wipe out the basic rights of the whole people, the democratic order of the Republic of Korea, the constitutional order, and the freedom of the press.]

Groups said society could face a major inflection point in an unexpected direction, and urged journalists to focus more on their role as watchdogs.

This is YTN Lee Kyung-guk.



Photographer: Kwak Young-joo