Court fines photojournalist $3,500 for unauthorized trip to cover Ukraine war
A district court has fined a photojournalist 5 million won ($3,500) for illegally traveling to Ukraine in 2022 to cover the country's war with Russia, legal sources said Friday. The Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court found 46-year-old Jang Jin-young guilty of violating the Passport Act on Wednesday for the trip to Ukraine in March 2022, according to the sources and civic group…
A Korean photojournalist has been fined 5 million won ($3,500) by a district court for unlawfully traveling to Ukraine in March 2022 to cover the ongoing conflict with Russia, according to legal sources. The Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court ruled that 46-year-old Jang Jin-young violated the Passport Act by entering Ukraine without obtaining an exemption from the foreign ministry.
Ukraine was placed on Korea's travel ban list in February 2022 following Russia's invasion of the country. The court emphasized that press freedom does not override the significant safety risks journalists face in conflict zones. Jang's attorney plans to appeal the decision, contending that the ministry's exemptions do not extend to freelance journalists.
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