On the 13th, Lee Kun-hee, a reporter for the Korea Media Consumers' Union, is seen submitting a request for deliberation regarding MBC and JTBC's reports on the ROK-US tariff and trade negotiations. Photo courtesy of the Korea Media Consumers' Union

Lee Kun-hee, a reporter for the online newspaper Korea Media Consumers' Union, submitted a request for deliberation to the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) on the 13th, calling for disciplinary action against Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and JTBC for their reports on the 'ROK-US Tariff and Trade Negotiations'.

The organization argued that both broadcasters violated broadcasting standards concerning objectivity, clarity of sources, prevention of viewer misinterpretation, and public interest by definitively reporting a 'resolution' in the absence of an official announcement or agreement text.

The request for deliberation submitted by the Consumers' Union to the KCSC specifically pointed to:

▲ MBC's '65 Days After Summit... Dramatic Resolution of Tariff Negotiations' (broadcast on October 29, 2025) and

▲ JTBC's 'ROK-US Tariff Negotiations 'Dramatically Resolved'... Approval for 'Nuclear Submarine Construction' Too' (reported on October 30).

Both reports definitively stated contents such as "the tariff negotiations have been finally resolved," "an annual investment cap of $20 billion has been set," and "the automotive tariff has been reduced from 25% to 15%," as if they were specific agreements.

However, the Consumers' Union pointed out, "At the time of reporting, there was no agreement text, joint statement, or joint fact sheet. There was no official announcement confirming a 'resolution' from either the White House or the USTR (United States Trade Representative). The Korean Presidential Office also only used the phrase 'progress in negotiations' and did not use the word 'resolution'."

The organization further argued, "By presenting unverified figures ('$20 billion cap,' '15% automotive tariff') as facts, MBC and JTBC misled the public into believing that 'the negotiations were completely concluded.' This reporting caused direct confusion in the public's economic judgment and the formation of diplomatic trust."

The request for deliberation specifically cited Article 14 (Objectivity), Article 21 (Clarity of Sources), Article 27 (Prohibition of Viewer Misinterpretation), and Article 30 (Infringement of Public Interest) of the broadcasting standards.

The Consumers' Union requested that the KCSC take measures such as "legal sanctions like a caution or warning for both broadcasters, review of disciplinary action for related personnel, recommendation to correct the facts, and demand for measures to prevent recurrence."

As supporting evidence, the organization attached documents such as the White House's 'Fact Sheet – President Donald J. Trump Brings Home More Billion Dollar Deals During State Visit to the Republic of Korea,' USTR official press release lists, and the Presidential Office's briefings from October 29 by National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong and Chief Economic Policy Advisor Kim Yong-bum regarding the ROK-US luncheon summit.

It was explained that none of these materials contained expressions such as 'resolution' or 'annual $20 billion cap.'

The Consumers' Union also pointed out the difference between 'resolution' and 'agreement' in the reports. The request for deliberation stated, "An agreement is a stage of principled consensus of opinion, and its executability is not finalized without documentation, whereas a settlement is a final agreement with specific conditions and documents. MBC and JTBC ignored this difference and reported virtually unfinished negotiations as 'completed agreements'."

A representative from the Korea Media Consumers' Union stated, "The definitive dissemination of reports on public-interest economic matters without official government announcements is a violation of the broadcasting's fundamental responsibility. We request that the KCSC judge this matter not as a simple error but as 'serious false and distorted reporting' and deliberate strictly."

Meanwhile, there is an analysis that President Trump's statement, "We have reached an agreement," in the original MBC report was interpreted as a general expression meaning 'progress in negotiations.'

JTBC's report also used the expression 'resolved after three months of tug-of-war,' but at the time, no 'tariff negotiation agreement' was posted on the White House or USTR websites.

The KCSC is expected to verify the facts and coordinate the deliberation schedule after confirming the receipt of the Consumers' Union's request.

This matter is anticipated to expand into a debate surrounding the media's obligation to verify facts and the standards for public-interest reporting.

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