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Yoon's office bans MBC reporters from boarding Air Force One for Southeast Asia tour

All News 08:24 November 10, 2022

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol has decided to ban local TV station MBC's reporters from boarding Air Force One as part of the president's traveling press corps for his upcoming trip to Southeast Asia, citing MBC's repeated "distorted" coverage, both sides said.

The presidential office did not specify which reports were distorted, but MBC has been at the center of controversy after it broadcast a video of Yoon walking out of an event in New York in September and telling his aides in vulgar language that it would be embarrassing if the National Assembly did not approve of something unspecified.

MBC subtitled the video to make it appear that Yoon was referring to U.S. President Joe Biden, but the presidential office denied there was any mention of Biden and claimed the word he used was in reference to the National Assembly. Yoon's remarks caught on a hot mic were difficult to hear because of background noise.

"The boarding of the presidential jet has been a service provided to help with coverage of foreign policy and security issues, and in consideration of MBC's repeated distorted and biased coverage of foreign policy issues recently, we have decided not to provide the service," the presidential office said in a notice to the company Wednesday, two days before Yoon departs for his tour of Cambodia and Indonesia.

In response, MBC issued a statement vowing to send its reporters on an alternative flight if they are banned.

"This action clearly restricts coverage by the press," it said.

President Yoon Suk-yeol (Yonhap)

President Yoon Suk-yeol (Yonhap)

hague@yna.co.kr
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