A South Korean video journalist has landed himself in massive trouble for striking First Lady Kim Hye Kyung on the head.
The incident occurred on June 3, KST, amid the anticipation of Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae Myung winning the election. While Lee was leaving for the party’s headquarters in Yeouido from his residence in Gyeyang-gu, reporters and citizens had gathered nearby. While Kim walked up to stand beside Lee and greet supporters, she was hit on the head by a journalist’s aggressive maneuvering.
The MBN video journalist was caught on video grabbing the First Lady’s left arm and then striking her head with a mounted mic, seemingly in a hurry to secure footage of the event. The live broadcast from the event showed Kim flinching from the blow. However, she quickly regained composure and continued greeting Lee’s supporters.
Notably, the MBN reporter offered no apology to Kim after striking her head and continued filming. This added to the public fury against the reporter after the incident.
Netizens were left fuming at both the reporter’s behavior and the security personnel’s lack of aggressive action. After widespread public outrage, MBN issued a formal apology on June 5, KST.
During a live broadcast on the night of June 3, an MBN video reporter made the mistake of pushing Kim Hye Kyung. We have sent a formal apology to the presidential office, who said that they understood the urgency of the situation but urged for special caution in the future.
— MBN
The network also promised to take extra care in training its journalists to maintain safety and update close-range filming protocols to prevent such mishaps in the future.
However, the delayed apology and the lack of any accountability have left many citizens enraged with the broadcaster. The incident has sparked public calls for stricter protocols for media conduct.