VOA慢速英语2014 韩国指控日本记者

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-03 South Korea Charges Japanese Reporter 韩国指控日本记者

South Korean officials have charged a Japanese reporter with defaming President Park Geun-hye. Defamation¹ means “to hurt the reputation of someone or something, especially by saying things that are false or unfair.” Critics of the strict law are worried about its effect on freedom of speech.

Tatsuya Kato is a reporter based in the South Korean capital Seoul. He reports for the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun. The newspaper is often critical of South Korean officials.

A story on August 3rd by Mr. Kato suggested President Park was with a man during the time of the Sewol ferry disaster earlier this year. It said that is the reason she did not deal with the crisis² for seven hours. The Economist³ reports the president’s office strongly denies Ms. Park was with a man at the time of the disaster.

On April 16th, more than 300 people died when the ferry sank during a trip to the island of Jeju. Many of the victims were high school students.

Mr. Kato told a judge that he is not guilty of defamation. The Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s office said Mr. Kato’s story was based on what it called “false facts.” If Mr. Kato is found guilty of the charge, he could spend seven years in prison.   

Mr. Kato’s story noted⁴ reports in South Korean media that Ms. Park, who is not married, was in a romantic relationship with a former aide. The aide recently divorced his wife. But reports said he was married at the time he was having a relationship with Ms. Park. None of the reporters who wrote those stories have been charged with illegally criticizing the president.

In addition to its defamation law, South Korea has a law giving the government permission to stop media from reporting some stories. That law -- and the law banning strong criticism of government officials -- was designed to help fight spying and propaganda⁵ efforts by North Korea.

Oh Chang-ik is with the group Citizens’ Solidarity⁶ for Human Rights, in Seoul. Mr. Oh says President Park is using the law to protect her image. He says the case shows South Korea is being controlled by the president and not governed by the law. He says this permits the president’s emotions to control important national policies and criminal cases.

Mr. Kato was charged as tensions between South Korea and Japan grow. Each country claims control over a group of nearby islands. No one lives on the islands. And many South Koreans still dislike Japan because of that country’s history of invasions.

Mr. Oh says Mr. Kato was not charged with a crime just because he is Japanese. But he says being Japanese did not help him, either. Mr. Oh says it was easier to charge a Japanese reporter than an American reporter. But he says he does not think the case is linked to relations between Japan and South Korea. 

The Economist reports Mr. Kato is banned from leaving South Korea. It says some South Korean reporters may on their own stop reporting stories critical of the government because of the way Mr. Kato has been treated.

Journalist groups -- including Reporters Without Borders -- have said they are worried about the case. They say it could affect press freedoms in South Korea.

In 2011, the group Freedom House said South Korea is a “partly free” country that regularly stops media from reporting some news. And in 2012 the human rights group Amnesty International called on the government to weaken or cancel the national security law. The group said there had been a sharp increase in the number of cases in which the government was using the law for political purposes to try to stop people from debating policies.

Words in This Story

strict – adj. used to describe a law, command or rule that must be obeyed

critical – adj. expressing criticism or disapproval⁷

disaster – n. something (such as a boat sinking, flood, tornado⁸, fire or plane crash) that happens suddenly and causes much suffering or loss to many people

romantic relationship – n. of, relating to, or involving love between two people; a romantic or sexual⁹ friendship between two people

divorce – n. the ending of a marriage by a legal process

propaganda – n. ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause, a political leader or a government

image – n. the idea that people have about someone or something

emotions – n. a strong feeling (such as love, anger, joy, hate, or fear)

nearby – adj. not far away; located at a short distance from someone or something

invasion – n. the act of invading something, such as the act of entering a place in an attempt to take control of it

sharp – adj. sudden and quick

1 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

2 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 propaganda   

n.宣传，宣传机构

参考例句：

• A lot of propaganda has painted him as bad.大量宣传把他说得很坏。
• Art may be used as a vehicle for propaganda.艺术可以用作为宣传的媒介。

6 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

7 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

8 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

9 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。