MBC Faces Legal Sanction for Broadcasting Unedited Footage of Jeju Air Incident

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) has decided to impose a legal sanction on MBC for airing unedited footage of the Jeju Air incident. During a full meeting held on February 3 at the Mokdong Broadcasting Center in Yangcheon-gu, the KCSC concluded that MBC's special news report, 'MBC News Special' aired on December 29, 2024, violated broadcasting regulations by showing distressing scenes of the incident without any filtering.

In the report, MBC displayed footage of the aircraft failing to reduce speed, colliding with the exterior, and subsequently exploding. Complaints were also raised regarding unrelated subtitles, such as 'Impeachment: 817', and corporate logos appearing on screen for about a second. Additionally, the use of 'Sea of Japan' instead of 'East Sea' was highlighted as a concern.

In response, MBC stated in a written opinion that the distressing footage was used three times at the beginning of the report, but they recognized the issue and switched to edited footage afterward. They attributed the subtitle errors to staff mistakes and denied any conspiracy theories, while the anchor apologized for the use of the 'Sea of Japan' designation.

KCSC Chairperson Ryu Hee-rim emphasized that broadcasting regulations prohibit the airing of excessively graphic images that could disturb victims and viewers during major disasters.

The KCSC also addressed the special report by JTBC, which repeatedly aired the collision and explosion scenes of the aircraft, and decided to issue an administrative recommendation based on their follow-up actions, including an apology broadcast.

The KCSC's decisions are categorized into various levels, including 'No Issues', administrative guidance such as 'Opinions Presented' and 'Recommendations', and legal sanctions like 'Caution', 'Warning', 'Program Corrections', and 'Fines'. Legal sanctions can lead to point deductions during the re-licensing or re-approval of broadcasting stations.