Professional journalistic community of the Republic of Korea: government institutions, associations and organizations

Fadeeva Alina Vital'evna ORCID: 0000-0003-4219-888X Assistant, Department of International Journalism, St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya str., 7-9 st071252@student.spbu.ru Shafir Timur Vladimirovich Lecturer at the Department of Communication Technologies, Moscow State Linguistic University 38 Ostozhenka str., Moscow, 119034, Russia tim.shafir@yandex.ru Gurushkin Pavel Yurevich PhD in Politics Associate Professor, Department of Mass Communications Management, St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya str., 7-9 p.gurushkin@spbu.ru

Nikonov Sergey Borisovich ORCID: 0000-0002-8340-1541 Doctor of Politics Professor, Department of International Journalism, St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya str., 7-9 s.nikonov@spbu.ru

Introduction to the problem

As of 2024, in the Republic of Korea (ROK), control over professional journalistic activities is carried out using a centralized system supported and supervised by government organizations. For example, The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) makes a significant contribution to the development of the national media system of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is a government agency responsible for the regulation of broadcasting and communication services^[1]. This commission was established in accordance with the Law on the Establishment and Operation of The Korean Communications Commission (Act On The Establishment And Operation Of Korea Communications Commission, Act No. 17347, 06/09/2020).

The main functions of the KCC include: developing and implementing policies regarding terrestrial broadcasting, general services and news program providers; investigating and sanctioning violations committed by broadcast or communications business operators; developing and implementing a wide range of measures aimed at protecting users and their personal information; preventing the dissemination of illegal or harmful information; organization of broadcast advertising; development and implementation of a policy in the field of programming and evaluation; development of a policy of media diversification. Its chairman and one member of the commission are appointed directly by the President, and the remaining members of the commission are nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the President. In the field of broadcasting, all advertising must be approved by the state-owned Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corp. (KOBACO)). Since its foundation in 1981, KOBACO has been engaged in the sale of advertising on the air. Over the years, she has contributed to the stable supply of financial resources to broadcasting corporations and protected the public broadcasting sector from monopolization. In 2012, KOBACO was revived as a publicly funded public corporation. As a result, KOBACO's field of activity as a media representative has expanded from traditional forms of broadcasting to new media such as cable and satellite television, as well as IPTV (Kobaco). [Electronic resource] – Access mode:https://kobaco.co.kr/site/main/content/what_public_ad). In addition, the company has taken on new tasks to promote the advertising industry, such as measuring the effectiveness of advertising, finding and creating effective advertising distribution mechanisms, as well as researching and verifying the audience share.

In addition, the largest professional associations in the country are considered to be:

The Association of Journalists of Korea (English Journalists Association of Korea(JAK)). Areas of activity: protection of freedom of speech; professional development of journalists; protection of the rights and interests of journalists; reunification of the Korean Peninsula; conducting research; awarding awards and prizes; providing professional training in the field of digital broadcasting; holding various seminars, forums, discussion sessions; organizing training in Korea and abroad; material support of the program, within the framework of which journalists visit schools and talk about the role of the media; the publication of a weekly magazine, which is an important means of disseminating information about the activities of JAK; exchange not only with international associations (especially with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)), but with individual journalists around the world (Journalists Association of Korea.[Electronic resource] – Access mode: https://www.journalist.or.kr/home/company.html?p_num=10 ).

The Korean Association of Broadcasters (English: Korean Broadcasters Association). Areas of activity: holding general meetings and board meetings of the association, fundraising, research on broadcasting policy, copyright protection and settlement of disputes in this area; development of broadcasting; training of specialists in the field of broadcasting (seminars, working meetings, refresher courses, etc.); cultural broadcasting, supervision of the Seoul International Drama awards; organization of a complex of events in honor of the celebration of broadcasting Day; organization of the ceremonial part of the Korean Broadcasting Award; Seoul International Drama(KBA. [Electronic resource] – Access mode:http://kba.or.kr/bbs/page.php?hid=m01_04).

Korean Science Journalism Association (KSJA). Activities: holding events for professional members of the Scientific Press Association (forums, discussions, seminars, master classes, meetings, etc.); organizing a Korean conference of scientific journalists; holding a discussion on scientific policy with the participation of journalists, experts and citizens; organizing a set of events for the Scientific Press Awards: awarding prizes to journalists, scientists and specialists in the field of scientific communication in 4 nominations (Scientific journalist of Korea, News of the Year in the field of medicine and science, Scientist of the Year selected by journalists, Award for a specialist in the field of scientific communication); implementation of training and education programs for scientific journalists in the country and abroad; support for the coverage of events by scientific journalists; holding a set of events for the Day scientific press; holding the Science Press Awards ceremony and celebrations in honor of the end of the year of scientific press circles; support for the production of scientific materials and content on social networks; Research and promotion of the press about science; conducting political research and ordering research aimed at the development of scientific communication; publication of the KSJA newspaper (twice a year) and scientific publication (4-5 times a year)(Korea Science Journalists Association.[Electronic resource] – Access mode: https://www.koreasja.org/m/business/promotion.php ).

The Korean Press Foundation (eng. The Korea Press Foundation (KPF)). Areas of activity: implementation of projects aimed at strengthening the trust of journalists; development of innovative media management models; support for strengthening the public character of the media; development of mechanisms to increase audience activity in the media; strengthening communication between the media and the public; improving the effectiveness of media business management; dissemination of the culture of corporate management model in accordance with the principles of ESG; support the growth of innovations in the media industry; increasing public interest in government public(social) advertising; expanding the market of the news industry; improving the efficiency of using news data; improving user service to advertisers(the Korea Press Foundation. [Electronic resource] – Access mode: https://www.kpf.or.kr/front/intropage/intropageShow.do?page_id=bad2f498ae9e4dfd8e05d07a620b1682 ).

The Korean Newspaper Press Association (English: Korean Association of Newspapers). Areas of activity: conducting and supporting international conferences and symposiums; organizing experience exchange programs; publishing research; publishing printed products and the Newspaper Advertising Journal; providing training sessions for novice journalists and for "intermediate" level journalists in order to improve their skills; organizing foreign trips for journalists; developing training programs and other forms of professional training for both novice and experienced journalists; conducting journalistic research and surveys; conducting campaigns to initiate newspaper reading; supporting digital strategies and distribution of news content for the media; generating key statistics in the field of journalism; explaining public policy; supporting management strategies for the media(Korean Association of Newspapers. [Electronic resource] – Access mode: http://www.presskorea.or.kr/intro/business.php?m=1&sm=6&tm=9 ).

The considered professional associations are not the only ones that carry out their activities on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, but are larger organizations that have a direct impact on the functioning of the South Korean media space, in comparison with such organizations as the Korean News Editors Association (Korean News Editors Association). [Electronic resource] – Access mode: http://www.editor.or.kr ), The Kwanghoon Club (eng.Kwanhun Club) (Kwanhun Club. [Electronic resource] – Access mode: http://www.kwanhun.com/page/7_1.php ), the Association of Women Journalists of Korea (English:Korean women journalists association) (.Korean women journalists association.[Electronic resource] – Access mode: http://www.womanjournalist.or.kr ) and other local associations demonstrate the importance for Korean society of various aspects of a journalist's professional activity in their country.

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea act as partners of each of these associations, which may indicate not only the government's interest in supporting Korean journalists, but also an attempt to implement a model of integrated control not just at the stage of content production, but starting with the education of human resources, creating certain ideas about the profession of a journalist among young professionals. In this regard, the Center for Foreign Press in Korea (FPC Korea), which is also a government agency, stands out against the background of the above-mentioned organizations. The Center was formed at the suggestion of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2013. The main activity of this subordinate structure is to help residents and foreign correspondents effectively cover problems and issues related to the Republic of Korea. At the moment, FPC Korea plays the role of an intermediary between foreign media and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is the Foreign Press Center that conducts briefings, arranges interviews and organizes press tours for international correspondents who are stationed or temporarily visiting the country. It is worth noting that government ministries conduct briefings for foreign media on a regular basis and in accordance with emergency situations. Thus, FPC Korea is the main venue for interviews and briefings for international journalists with government officials or experts to help in in-depth coverage of specific issues. In addition, the Center conducts Korean language courses and cultural experience programs to help international journalists adjust to new conditions. It is important to remember that "The public diplomacy of the CF is focused on the formation of a network of communities capable of providing international support to those who are friendly towards Korea, creating a platform for international support for Korea, and in the future a platform for interaction"^[2,112].

Korean family conglomerates, which in South Korea are called chaebol (representatives of the South Korean business elite), also have certain claims in the field of media business^[3]. For example, SBS (English Seoul Broadcasting System) is a commercial broadcaster owned by Yun Se Yong. However, Mr. Yun resigned in 2017 "amid allegations of interference in news coverage (SBS chairman resigns amid allegations of interference in news coverage. September 11, 2017.Yonhap News Agency. [Electronic resource] – Access mode: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20170911011800315 )", which is also a very illustrative example of the situation of the media in the country. The press is mainly privately owned by family corporations such as the Bang family, the Chosun Ilbo, the Kim family, the owner of Dong-A Ilbo, the Chang family, the owner of Hankook Ilbo, and "JoongAng Ilbo" (English JoongAng Ilbo), owned by Samsung Group, and in particular, the Lee family.

Research methods

Analysis of regulatory documents, high-quality content analysis, as well as such a research method as a single-outcome case study to determine the specifics of the experience of the Republic of Korea. The analyzed sources were the websites of journalistic unions and organizations in the Republic of Korea — the Korean Communications Commission, the Korean Broadcasting Advertising Corporation, the Association of Journalists of Korea, the Korean Association of Broadcasters, the Korean Association of Scientific Journalism, the Korean Press Foundation, the Korean Association of Newspapers and other local professional associations. The collection of information on the functioning of Korean professional communities in the field of media and organizations controlling journalistic activities was carried out during the period from December 15, 2023 to January 15, 2024.

As an illustrative example of the activities of a professional journalistic association, the Association of Journalists of Korea was chosen, whose activities were analyzed in accordance with the following criteria: features of the structure, areas of activity, international integration, interaction with government departments, educational activities, a system of support and material support for journalists.

Review of the activities of professional journalistic communities of the Republic of Korea on the example of the Association of Journalists of Korea

The Korea Journalists Association (KJA) is the largest professional association in South Korea, which includes more than 11,000 active members from newspapers, broadcasters and news agencies across the country.

From the historical information provided on the organization's website, it is established that KJA was founded on August 17, 1964. The struggle against the adoption of the law "On the Committee on Press Ethics" (1964) was the result of the strong unity of all KJA members, which eventually forced the government to reject its adoption. This was not only the first achievement in protecting press freedom, but also an opportunity to confirm the need for the existence of the association under study, and also determined the future direction of the association's activities, its functions and responsibilities to the journalistic community. Thus, the need for the formation of the association under study is indicated by the historical events of the 60s of the last century, when a military coup took place in the Republic of Kazakhstan. "The government led by Park Chung-hee tightened control over the media, which led to new mass closures of editorial offices. By the 1970s, General Park's military dictatorship had created numerous laws restricting freedom of speech and journalistic activity. It was extremely difficult to work in such conditions, so many began to leave the profession. The system of introducing secret agents in the editorial office was used, which once again reflected on the content of the materials. Radio and television were in even more difficult circumstances than the print press^[4]. Sometimes the methods ranged from phone calls to editors to more serious forms of incitement, including interrogations and beatings by the executive^[5,206]." After the 1971 presidential election, Park Chung-hee's government tightened control over the media. In particular, on December 17, 1971, even before the establishment of the theocratic regime, a system of press cards was introduced, which led to the mass dismissal of journalists. In addition, on March 7, 1972, the Government announced "Measures for Government Reporters", restricting access to executive authorities and other government agencies, as well as restricting reporting activities outside of content control. Journalists responded to these repressions with a collective defense of press freedom. Shortly before the presidential elections in April 1971, the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper published a "Declaration in Defense of the Press", and local media followed suit^[6,7]. In November 1973, when journalists were banned from covering protests against the establishment of power, they were joined by reporters from the newspapers "Khankere", "Joseon Ilbo" and "Junan Ilbo", who adopted declarations and resolutions in defense of press freedom.

Since the adoption of the "Code of Conduct in Defense of a Free Press" (1971), the "Resolution in Defense of Freedom of the Press" (1973) and the "Declaration on the Practice of a Free Press" (1974) ( (Rus.Statement of journalists "Dong-A Ilbo" in defense of freedom of the press)[Electronic resource] – Access mode: http://contents.history.go.kr/front/hm/view.do?levelId=hm_161_0010 ), many journalists have experienced difficulties in the process of fighting the regime's suppression of the press. The imprisonment of almost the entire executive board of the Korean Press Association in the 1980s in response to the new military regime's policy of eradicating the press through censorship was a rare wave of unprecedented events for the Korean media^[8,9]. In 1987, as the wave of struggle for democratization continued, KJA found itself at the center of the media democratization movement, leading a campaign to repeal the Press Law and reinstate fired journalists. Due to the prevailing events, the Association of Journalists of Korea was established under the slogan of “protecting press freedom” and became the core of the struggle against the approval of the law on the Press Ethics Committee, which was promoted by the military regime at that time.

The structure of the association we have considered has a common form based on a vertical hierarchy. The management and operation of the Korea Journalists Association is provided by the President, Vice President, advisers and two auditors. The highest decision-making bodies are the General Assembly and the Board of Directors. There are six permanent subcommittees in the KJA structure, including the subcommittees on press freedom, Protection of rights, investigations, international exchange, powers and discipline, as well as the subcommittee on North-South cooperation and Reunification, 10 provincial offices of associations, the Press Research Institute, the Ethics Committee, the Press Reform unit, the Social Affairs unit benefits, the unit for the revival of local (local correspondent points) The media and 14 special committees, which include 202 members for 2023. In addition to these structural units, the activities of the association are provided by the secretariat and the editorial office, which work on a permanent basis.

Today, the association's efforts are aimed at improving the quality of journalists' work, protecting their rights, promoting self-regulation, media reform and the development of journalism in Korea. KJA identifies five main areas: protecting press freedom, improving the quality of professional competencies of journalists, protecting the rights of journalists, peaceful reunification of the country and strengthening international exchanges (Journalists Association of Korea.[Electronic resource] – Access mode: https://www.journalist.or.kr/home/company.html?p_num=10 ). Within the framework of these trajectories, a certain set of activities and projects are carried out to stimulate the development of the media environment. For example, the Association of Journalists of Korea annually awards the Korean Journalist Award and the monthly Journalist of the Month Award to those who have contributed to reporting and the development of media culture in order to encourage members of the association to high–quality reporting.  The Korean Reporters Award, the highest award in Korea, was established in 1967 and is awarded for outstanding articles published in newspapers, broadcasting and telecommunications this year, after careful selection. Since 1995, the most outstanding articles have been awarded the grand Prize. The Journalist of the Month Award is awarded once a month for outstanding articles published in newspapers, on radio and television, which have passed a strict selection. It was established in October 1990 to help journalists make a significant contribution to changing the world by writing good articles. In addition to these awards, the Korean Press Association has been awarding the award "For Outstanding Reporting on Respect for Life" quarterly since June 2011 jointly with the Korean Foundation for Hope and Respect for Life (formerly the Central Center for Suicide Prevention), and since 2012 it has annually awarded the prize "For Reporting on Human Rights" jointly with the National Commission on Human Rights human rights. In addition, since 2010, the Cho Gyeongchang Award for International reporting has been established in cooperation with the Yonhap News Agency and the Media Unification Award in cooperation with the National Union of Media Workers.

In order to provide a favorable environment for the development of journalism as an industry and to enhance the professionalism of media figures, the association often acts as an organizer of various seminars, forums and debates. In the early years of the organization's existence, "Guest appearances" were actively held, to which prominent figures of the country and experts from abroad were invited to discuss important issues of public interest. Since the 90s, the "KJA Debates" have been devoted to a socially significant agenda that meets the needs of the public. By 2000, an organizing committee was established and a "Reporters Forum" was held, where experts are invited to discuss controversial professional situations and major issues with current journalists in order to study the problems of the Korean media and propose solutions. An interesting experience is the cooperation between the Samsung Press Foundation and the Association of Journalists of Korea in jointly conducting monthly educational lectures and conferences on key media issues.

KJA regularly organizes short-term training programs for young journalists in China and Vietnam to strengthen their professional skills. However, the leadership of the association also sees certain prospects in the development of international cooperation in the field of media and integration into the international journalistic community. It was for this purpose that on May 2, 1966, at the 8th General Assembly of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Berlin, the Association of Journalists of Korea became a full member of the federation. Since the 1990s, IFJ has organized annual exchanges with the Association of Chinese Journalists (ACIA) and the Society of Journalists of Vietnam (VJS), and initiated exchanges with the Association of Journalists of Indonesia (AJI) in 2013, the Association of Journalists of Mongolia (CMJ) in 2014, the Association of Journalists of Bulgaria (UBJ) in 2015 and the Association journalists of Russia (RUJ) in 2018.

The reunification of the North and South remains one of the pressing issues for the population of the Korean peninsula. The Association of Korean Journalists is interested in developing projects and facilitating the exchange of journalists between North and South Korea, and is also developing a policy for the reunification of the two Koreas. Since 2001, KJA has held numerous meetings with the Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea to discuss the direction of inter-Korean journalistic exchanges. In June 2005, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of June 15, the North-South Media Exchange Committee was established, which visited Pyongyang to meet with representatives of the North Korean media to discuss future exchanges, and is currently conducting ongoing activities focused on the subcommittee of the Association of Journalists on the reunification of the North and South. This line of activity was supported under the presidency of Moon Jae-in, whose administration was focused on rapprochement with Pyongyang, but Yun Seok Barely moved the parties to open confrontation. The policy towards the DPRK has tightened. Exchanges have been suspended.  

The Association of Korean Journalists carries out various social and charitable activities for members of the professional community. After the creation of a journalist village for the homeless (1968) and the distribution of apartments (1974), in 1987, 802 apartments for journalists were built with funds allocated by the association (, ' ' , 30.05.2016. .[Electronic resource] – Access mode: https://v.daum.net/v/JjVXkLs6g9 ). In November 2013, it was decided to establish and operate a Mutual Assistance Association of Korean journalists to ensure the welfare of media employees. This unit is responsible for implementing subsidy programs to ensure the well-being of the association's members, and also conducts various events such as the annual football tournament among journalists, a climbing tournament and a baseball tournament, which promote friendship and camaraderie between members of the society. In addition, to increase the number of highly qualified personnel, each year the association selects the number of candidates set by the Board of Directors to receive partial financial support for postgraduate studies in Korea.

As of 2024, KJA not only defends the rights and interests of journalists in its activities, but also strives to form mechanisms for self-regulation of the professional journalistic community and media reform. Among other things, the Korea Journalists Association is making efforts to eliminate problems and contradictions within the country's media system.

Conclusions

Using the example of the activities of the Association of Journalists of Korea, it can be noted that the basis for the formation of most large professional journalistic communities was laid by media figures in a historically difficult time for the Korean press and broadcasting. The need to form the association under study is indicated by the historical events of the 60s of the last century, when a military coup took place in the Republic of Korea^[10]. Currently, it is difficult to give an unambiguous assessment of the effectiveness of the activities of professional associations of Korean journalists. On the one hand, direct cooperation with government agencies, on the other hand, interaction with the country's business elites ^[11,12]. It is worth noting that government institutions act as partners of each of the associations considered in the study, which may indicate not only the government's interest in supporting Korean journalists, but also an attempt to implement an integrated control model. Thus, one can consider the idea of introducing the concept of integrated control as a structure aimed at meeting information requirements, which are largely degrees influence the ways of media management, but also make it possible to preserve the historically established continuity of journalistic associations as associations whose activities are aimed at the comprehensive protection of the rights and freedoms of media employees. The fact that many Korean media outlets are owned by private individuals can be called a characteristic feature of the modern media landscape of the region under study. In this regard, the most important principle for Korean media conglomerates is the institutional guarantee of independent relations between management and editorial staff. In other words, it is impossible to associate journalistic materials with business. As a result of the violation of this principle, the company's management strategies take precedence over the ethical values of media workers, and it was at this moment that professional associations – the Korean Communications Commission, the Korean Broadcasting Advertising Corporation, the Association of Journalists of Korea, the Korean Association of Broadcasters, the Korean Association of Scientific Journalism, the Korean Press Foundation, the Korean Association of Newspapers and other local professional associations – They can openly prevent the monopolization of the country's information resources and disregard for freedom of speech, the rights and interests of journalists.

In the course of the study, it was found that existing government institutions, organizations and associations engaged in activities to improve the quality of the professional environment for Korean journalists resorted to such a method as the introduction of a model of integration control of regulatory authorities. In addition, we highlight the orientation of the journalistic community to comply with international standards, which partly brings the Korean media environment closer to losing the national characteristics of the press and broadcasting system.