An MBN reporter was captured pulling First Lady Kim Hye-kyung by the hand and pushing her hard, leading to a barrage of criticism from internet users. In response, MBN apologized two days later and promised to prevent a recurrence.
Earlier, on the night of the 3rd, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, left his home in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, at around 11:50 p.m. after it became clear he would be elected through the live broadcast of the three terrestrial broadcasters. At that time, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung also accompanied him and expressed her gratitude to the supporters waiting in front of their home.
The movement of President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung was broadcast live by various broadcasting cameras, during which the problematic behavior was captured. An MBN videographer hurriedly moved to capture footage of Lee Jae-myung greeting supporters, and in the process, there was First Lady Kim Hye-kyung. However, without avoidance, the MBN reporter grabbed Kim Hye-kyung's left arm and pushed her away, eventually hitting the top of her head with the camera microphone.
At that moment, the startled first lady touched her head in surprise but soon corrected her hair and continued to greet supporters. The bodyguards nearby quickly moved to protect First Lady Kim Hye-kyung and surrounded her with their hands, but the reporter in question was busy setting up for a shot instead of apologizing.
The video of the MBN cameraman pushing the first lady quickly spread across various social media and communities, escalating the controversy. While the situation was urgent and there was a need to capture President Lee Jae-myung, it could not avoid criticism for pushing the first lady and causing a collision with the camera.
Internet users also pointed out, "Could it be that he didn't receive proper training? How can he push a first lady like that with a camera?" "Is this person in their right mind?", "What were the bodyguards doing? They should have positioned the cameramen behind to avoid overlapping paths," "I'm so stunned, I can't even speak," and "This demands an apology...it lacks decency and manners," among others.
Ultimately, MBN bowed its head, issuing an apology on the 5th, two days late.
MBN acknowledged its mistake, stating, "During the process of live broadcasting the presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and his spouse greeting citizens around 11:40 p.m. on June 3, there was a mistake where an MBN video journalist pushed Kim Hye-kyung."
"MBN conveyed its intention to apologize to the presidential office regarding this matter, and the presidential office side requested, 'We understand the urgency of the situation, but please exercise extra caution during the coverage in the future,'" and that "MBN's video production department will strengthen safety training for close-up filming of important figures and will also rectify the video coverage guidelines at this opportunity," it expressed its intention to apologize.
After numerous internet users pointed out the mistake and criticized MBN, the company issued an apology two days later, reiterating that it would refine its coverage guidelines.
[Photo] Captured from YTN live broadcast.
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