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Japan Protests an Indictment of a Journalist Japan Protests Indictment of Journalist by South Korea
(about 1 hour later)
ASAHIKAWA, Japan — Japan’s Foreign Ministry summoned a South Korean diplomat on Thursday to protest the filing of charges against a Japanese journalist in Seoul, in the latest spat to divide the two countries.ASAHIKAWA, Japan — Japan’s Foreign Ministry summoned a South Korean diplomat on Thursday to protest the filing of charges against a Japanese journalist in Seoul, in the latest spat to divide the two countries.
The ministry made the move to oppose the indictment the day before of Tatsuya Kato, 48, the former Seoul bureau chief for the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun. South Korean prosecutors charged Mr. Kato with defaming the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye. Mr. Kato has not been arrested, but is barred from leaving South Korea. The ministry made the move to oppose the indictment the day before of Tatsuya Kato, 48, the former Seoul bureau chief for the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun. South Korean prosecutors charged Mr. Kato with defaming the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye. Mr. Kato has not been arrested, but he is barred from leaving South Korea.
Mr. Kato was indicted over an article published in early August that suggested, without providing evidence, that Ms. Park was slow to respond to the deadly sinking in April of the ferry Sewol because she may have been having a romantic encounter with a former aide at the time. South Korean officials have dismissed the allegation as false. Mr. Kato was indicted over an article published in early August that suggested, without providing evidence, that Ms. Park was slow to respond to the deadly sinking in April of the ferry Sewol because she might have been having a romantic encounter with a former aide at the time. South Korean officials have dismissed the allegation as false.
In his article, Mr. Kato cited as a source an earlier column by the Chosun Ilbo, a major South Korean newspaper, that made oblique references to rumors about what Ms. Park was doing in the early hours of the disaster.In his article, Mr. Kato cited as a source an earlier column by the Chosun Ilbo, a major South Korean newspaper, that made oblique references to rumors about what Ms. Park was doing in the early hours of the disaster.
The fact that Korean prosecutors have not pressed charges against the Korean newspaper, but only against the Sankei, an archconservative newspaper that has been critical of South Korea on history issues, has led some Japanese to call the indictment politically motivated. The fact that Korean prosecutors have not pressed charges against the Korean newspaper, but only against the Sankei, a conservative newspaper that has been critical of South Korea on history issues, has led some Japanese to call the indictment politically motivated.
In its indictment, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office accused Mr. Kato of not making “minimum efforts” to verify what he wrote.In its indictment, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office accused Mr. Kato of not making “minimum efforts” to verify what he wrote.
On Thursday, Junichi Ihara, Japan’s Foreign Ministry official in charge of Asian affairs, called in Kim Won-jin, a minister at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo, to protest the indictment.On Thursday, Junichi Ihara, Japan’s Foreign Ministry official in charge of Asian affairs, called in Kim Won-jin, a minister at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo, to protest the indictment.
Mr. Ihara told Mr. Kim that the charges were “extremely regrettable in the view of the freedom of the press and Japan-South Korea relations,” according to Japan’s Kyodo News agency.Mr. Ihara told Mr. Kim that the charges were “extremely regrettable in the view of the freedom of the press and Japan-South Korea relations,” according to Japan’s Kyodo News agency.
Mr. Kim defended the prosecutors’ actions, saying that they were based on South Korean law and had nothing to do with diplomatic relations, Kyodo said.Mr. Kim defended the prosecutors’ actions, saying that they were based on South Korean law and had nothing to do with diplomatic relations, Kyodo said.
If found guilty, Mr. Kato faces up to seven years in prison.If found guilty, Mr. Kato faces up to seven years in prison.