Korean court fines photojournalist over unauthorized Ukraine trip

A Korean court has imposed a fine of 5 million won ($3,530) on freelance photojournalist Jang Jin-young for traveling to Ukraine without government authorization following Russia's invasion in 2022, which sparked a protracted military conflict. According to legal sources, the Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court handed down the penalty on Wednesday for Jang's violation of the Passport Act.

Jang ventured to Ukraine in March 2022 to document the war and remained there for roughly two weeks before returning to Korea. The court contended that Jang had neglected to secure the exceptional passport use approval from the foreign ministry, asserting that the personal safety risks associated with traveling to a conflict zone outweighed his entitlement to report the news.

Jang's legal representatives promptly contested the decision, expressing intentions to appeal the ruling. Their lawyer contended that the procedure for obtaining special permission from the ministry is exclusively applicable to journalists affiliated with media organizations accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and does not extend to freelance journalists or reporters from small independent outlets.

The existing travel ban system, which places the foreign ministry in charge of granting such permissions, is currently in place.