A court in Gwangju has ruled that a local newspaper's practice of assigning sales quotas to its correspondent and forcing them to collect fees is an unfair trading practice under the Fair Trade Law.
On January 25, the Gwangju District Court delivered a pivotal ruling that sheds light on the practices of local media in South Korea regarding their correspondents. The court found that a local newspaper's insistence on setting a mandatory sales quota for a correspondent, identified in the ruling only as Mr. B, and compelling him to remit sales fees was tantamount to an unfair trading act. The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Mr. B, who, in November 2020, alleged that he was coerced into paying a significant amount (approximately 2.55 billion KRW) as part of his agreement with the newspaper, which he claimed violated legal norms regarding fair business practices.
The case highlights the troubling implications of how certain local media outlets exploit their correspondents, potentially undermining the integrity of journalism. The Gwangju District Court's ruling pointed out that the agreed system of collecting sales quotas not only placed undue pressure on correspondents but also contravened established trade regulations. Judge Kang Sang-young ruled that such practices fall within the parameters of malpractice in the media industry, where ethical standards ought to prevail.
This decision raises significant questions about the treatment of journalists in local markets and the broader landscape of media ethics in South Korea. The ruling could lead to more stringent scrutiny of similar practices across the country, encouraging transparency and fairness in the media labor market. Local journalists and media organizations may find themselves re-evaluating their operational procedures in light of this ruling, which could have a lasting impact on how media outlets manage their correspondents and advertising revenues.
