CNN host “North Korea, it’s a shame to shoot AA guns.” Translated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “The problem of the extension scissors”

Christian Amanpoor Chief Anchor interviewing Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa (right) on CNN broadcast on the 16th (local time). [CNN 캡처]

The Foreign Ministry promoted the content of Minister Kang Kyung-hwa’s interview with foreign media and translated the statements of the moderator who criticized North Korea’s armed response to the flyers to the North, with the aim of “ breaking the war ”

In an interview with the US network CNN broadcast on the 16th (local time), the main presenter Christian Amanpoor asked Minister Kang about the ‘North Korean War Prohibition Law’ (amendment to the South Korean Relations Development Law). -North). Minister Kang emphasized the government’s position, saying: “Freedom of expression is not an absolute right.” The case that North Korea fired an anti-aircraft weapon at a pamphlet balloon in 2014 was cited on the grounds that the fumigation of pamphlets threatened residents of the border area, and then detonated the Kaesong Liaison Office in June.

After hearing all of Minister Kang’s responses, Amanpoor said, “It really is a bit disproportionate to react that way, even shooting an AA gun at a balloon.” What was launched from the South was not a gun, but a balloon, which means that North Korea’s response to firing an AA gun and detonating the office was excessive.

However, the Foreign Ministry presented the video to official YouTube, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and delivered Amanfour’s comments in a completely different way. In the self-produced Korean subtitle, he translated “It seems to be really important to respond to problems like the distribution of brochures to North Korea or layoffs from the North.” It appears that the government and the ruling party agree on the purpose of the anti-shear law, which was created to prevent the dissemination of leaflets.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that it was a simple mistake. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Because there are many interviews, it was a mistake that occurred in the translation process.” I will look better so that there are no mistakes in the future ”. As of the afternoon of the 21st, the Korean subtitles for that part have been revised as “Anti-aircraft guns on flyers against North Korea are unbalanced.”

However, while the United Nations and the United States Congress raised concerns about the war law against North Korea, it is also noted that it is difficult to view this sensitive information incorrectly, especially the content of the headline’s interview. of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. This is even more so when considering that Amanpur is a recognized expert in international affairs, recognized both at home and abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the number of interviews was large, but the total number of interviews was only 13 minutes and 6 seconds.

Hee-suk Shin, legal analyst at TJWG, a human rights recording and research organization, said: “It is enough that foreign media reports are deliberately distorted and translated. He noted that the government should not incite international shame in this way, but rather humbly accept the concerns of the international community, including the United Nations, about human rights violations.

Reporter Dayoung Kim [email protected]