AUCKLAND: New Zealand’s longest-running Korean-language newspaper has folded after an 18-year run, following a High Court order to pay $250,000 in defamation damages to a prominent Korean businessman, according to an article in the New Zealand Herald.
New Korea Herald editor John Yoo said he would appeal against the decision but did not think he would have the resources to keep the business afloat even if he won. He said he would continue to publish the news he gathers online.
Justice Paul Heath ruled last month that a series of articles the paper published had set out to “destroy” the character of 73-year-old Jung Nam Lee, a martial arts pioneer in New Zealand. He had sought $400,000.
The judge said the articles were a “deliberate, if misguided” attempt to destroy Lee’s character and there was no defence to Lee’s claim that he had been defamed.
The New Korea Herald is a free newspaper, distributed mostly to the 22,000 Koreans living in Auckland.
Korean Society vice-president Audrey Chung said Korean-language media was important and news of the demise of the New Korea Herald was sad but there were many other local newspapers and magazines and online media outlets aimed at the Korean community. - Nga Reo Tangata/Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Watch
