Tatsuya Kato
A Seoul court yesterday acquitted a Japanese reporter of defaming South Korea’s president by reporting that she was spending time with a man during a deadly ferry disaster last year.
The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court comes as President Park Geun-hye faces criticism that she has clamped down on journalists. The case has been seen as a test of free speech as opponents say government attacks on personal and political liberties are growing.
Prosecutors last year indicted Tatsuya Kato of Japan’s conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper over an article that listed rumors that Park was absent for seven hours during the disaster that killed more than 300 people, mostly teenagers. Prosecutors, who previously requested an 18-month prison term, have one week to appeal the ruling.
In a press conference, Kato described the acquittal as a “due verdict” and said he hopes prosecutors will not appeal. He said his story on Park’s whereabouts during the ferry disaster serves the public interest.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that it had asked the Justice Ministry to consider Japan’s request for leniency on Kato. AP
No Comments