ARD & ZDF: Remove Your Distorted Documentary on South Korea’s Martial Law Now!
Issued by Green Party Korea
March 6, 2025
The documentary "Inside Südkorea – USA, China und Nordkorea," initially planned for broadcast by Germany’s public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, completely abandoned journalistic objectivity, uncritically amplifying far-right narratives and attempting to justify the imposition of martial law declared by Yoon Suk Yeol last December. Green Party Korea welcomes the broadcasters' decision to withdraw the planned broadcast of this deeply problematic documentary.
However, we express serious concern over the fact that the documentary remains available online and is scheduled to be accessible until 2029. This reckless misrepresentation not only distorts the reality of South Korea’s ongoing situation triggered by President Yoon’s unlawful martial law in the eyes of the international community but also risks serving as a propaganda tool for anti-democratic forces within South Korea.
Green Party Korea and its International Committee of Green Party Korea strongly urge ARD and ZDF to immediately remove the documentary from all online platforms, issue a formal public apology, and implement measures to prevent the recurrence of such misleading and undemocratic reporting.
Violation of Journalism Principles
The documentary presents a biased perspective that rationalizes President Yoon’s declaration of martial law while systematically excluding any critical counterarguments. By exclusively featuring interviews with far-right YouTubers, pro-Yoon academics, and a former U.S. military officer, while entirely omitting opposing voices, ARD and ZDF have failed their public broadcasting duty to provide balanced reporting. Furthermore, this approach blatantly contradicts the principles of Germany’s Beutelsbach Consensus, which explicitly prohibits the forced imposition of specific ideological views in education and public discourse.
Promotion of Election Fraud Conspiracies and Misinformation
The documentary irresponsibly presents repeatedly debunked election fraud conspiracy theories as fact, while uncritically propagating claims of interference by China and North Korea. It selectively cites unreliable far-right media polls to suggest an increase in President Yoon’s approval ratings, creating a misleading perception among viewers. Such biased reporting directly violates the Beutelsbach Consensus principle of prohibiting coercion (Überwältigungsverbot), as it imposes an unchallenged political narrative rather than encouraging critical analysis. The dissemination of such misinformation at an international level is both reckless and deeply concerning.
Distorted Narrative on South Korean Democracy
The documentary portrays South Korea’s opposition parties and civil society as “radical left” while fabricating a narrative that depicts the judiciary as politically biased. Furthermore, it presents the declaration of martial law as an unavoidable measure, absurdly framing it as a “last resort to safeguard democracy.” This is not only factually incorrect but also contradicts the very spirit of German journalism’s proud history—particularly the role of ARD in exposing the truth of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement to the world.
Negative Impact on South Korea and the International Community
This documentary is already being exploited as a propaganda tool by far-right groups in South Korea to justify their opposition to President Yoon’s impeachment. Some radical factions are using this broadcast as alleged "evidence" of international support, seeking to pressure South Korea’s Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, within Germany’s Korean community, serious concerns are emerging regarding the credibility and impartiality of German public broadcasting. We urge the international community not to remain silent in the face of the reckless spread of misinformation.
We call on ARD and ZDF to take the following actions:
Immediately cease the online distribution of the documentary in question.
Issue a formal public apology acknowledging the documentary’s bias and misrepresentation of facts.
Conduct a follow-up report that presents a more objective and balanced analysis of South Korea’s democratic situation.
Implement internal reviews and safeguards to prevent the recurrence of similarly distorted reporting in the future.
ARD and ZDF, as public broadcasters, must take immediate action to restore their credibility and responsibility. We will remain vigilant to ensure that German public broadcasting is never again used as a vehicle for distorting South Korea’s democracy, and we will continue to work in solidarity with the international community to hold them accountable.
Sources (unofficial translation):
ARD & ZDF: Remove Your Distorted Documentary on South Korea’s Martial Law Now!
Issued by Green Party Korea
March 6, 2025
The documentary "Inside Südkorea – USA, China und Nordkorea," initially planned for broadcast by Germany’s public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, completely abandoned journalistic objectivity, uncritically amplifying far-right narratives and attempting to justify the imposition of martial law declared by Yoon Suk Yeol last December. Green Party Korea welcomes the broadcasters' decision to withdraw the planned broadcast of this deeply problematic documentary.
However, we express serious concern over the fact that the documentary remains available online and is scheduled to be accessible until 2029. This reckless misrepresentation not only distorts the reality of South Korea’s ongoing situation triggered by President Yoon’s unlawful martial law in the eyes of the international community but also risks serving as a propaganda tool for anti-democratic forces within South Korea.
Green Party Korea and its International Committee of Green Party Korea strongly urge ARD and ZDF to immediately remove the documentary from all online platforms, issue a formal public apology, and implement measures to prevent the recurrence of such misleading and undemocratic reporting.
Violation of Journalism Principles
The documentary presents a biased perspective that rationalizes President Yoon’s declaration of martial law while systematically excluding any critical counterarguments. By exclusively featuring interviews with far-right YouTubers, pro-Yoon academics, and a former U.S. military officer, while entirely omitting opposing voices, ARD and ZDF have failed their public broadcasting duty to provide balanced reporting. Furthermore, this approach blatantly contradicts the principles of Germany’s Beutelsbach Consensus, which explicitly prohibits the forced imposition of specific ideological views in education and public discourse.
Promotion of Election Fraud Conspiracies and Misinformation
The documentary irresponsibly presents repeatedly debunked election fraud conspiracy theories as fact, while uncritically propagating claims of interference by China and North Korea. It selectively cites unreliable far-right media polls to suggest an increase in President Yoon’s approval ratings, creating a misleading perception among viewers. Such biased reporting directly violates the Beutelsbach Consensus principle of prohibiting coercion (Überwältigungsverbot), as it imposes an unchallenged political narrative rather than encouraging critical analysis. The dissemination of such misinformation at an international level is both reckless and deeply concerning.
Distorted Narrative on South Korean Democracy
The documentary portrays South Korea’s opposition parties and civil society as “radical left” while fabricating a narrative that depicts the judiciary as politically biased. Furthermore, it presents the declaration of martial law as an unavoidable measure, absurdly framing it as a “last resort to safeguard democracy.” This is not only factually incorrect but also contradicts the very spirit of German journalism’s proud history—particularly the role of ARD in exposing the truth of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement to the world.
Negative Impact on South Korea and the International Community
This documentary is already being exploited as a propaganda tool by far-right groups in South Korea to justify their opposition to President Yoon’s impeachment. Some radical factions are using this broadcast as alleged "evidence" of international support, seeking to pressure South Korea’s Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, within Germany’s Korean community, serious concerns are emerging regarding the credibility and impartiality of German public broadcasting. We urge the international community not to remain silent in the face of the reckless spread of misinformation.
We call on ARD and ZDF to take the following actions:
Immediately cease the online distribution of the documentary in question.
Issue a formal public apology acknowledging the documentary’s bias and misrepresentation of facts.
Conduct a follow-up report that presents a more objective and balanced analysis of South Korea’s democratic situation.
Implement internal reviews and safeguards to prevent the recurrence of similarly distorted reporting in the future.
ARD and ZDF, as public broadcasters, must take immediate action to restore their credibility and responsibility. We will remain vigilant to ensure that German public broadcasting is never again used as a vehicle for distorting South Korea’s democracy, and we will continue to work in solidarity with the international community to hold them accountable.
Sources (unofficial translation):