Defense Media Agency

The Defense Media Agency (DMA), known in Korean as 국방홍보원 (國防弘報院), is a public organization under South Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND). It is responsible for producing the military's official media, including the newspaper Kookbang Ilbo (국방일보) and the armed forces broadcasting service, KFN TV and KFN Radio. The agency is headquartered at 22 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It was established under its current name on August 28, 2000, after being designated a responsible operating agency (책임운영기관) on January 1, 2000. Its predecessor organizations date back to the Korean War era, with the creation of the MND Filming Unit on July 4, 1950. Over the decades, the military's media production functions were reorganized several times, including the establishment of the Armed Forces Broadcasting Office in 1964 and the integration into the Armed Forces Newspaper Production Office in 1979. The DMA's duties encompass the production of military promotional materials, news, and broadcasts. Its organizational structure includes the Director's office, an Audit and Review Team, a Planning and Cooperation Office, the Kookbang Ilbo Department, a Broadcasting and New Media Department, and a Management Support Department. In 2022, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration granted the agency a license for paid broadcasting services. The agency has also faced controversies, including allegations of unfair labor practices, the dismissal of freelance workers, and broadcasting accidents.

The Defense Media Agency (DMA) traces its origins to the Korean War. On July 4, 1950, the Ministry of National Defense established a filming unit (국방부 촬영대). On December 16, 1963, the MND installed a broadcasting office within its Information and Education Bureau (정훈부 방송실) and reorganized the filming unit into the Armed Forces Film Production Office (국군영화제작소). On November 16, 1964, the broadcasting office was reorganized into the Armed Forces Broadcasting Office (국군방송실). On August 29, 1979, these functions were integrated into the Armed Forces Newspaper Production Office (국군신문제작소). On November 2, 1981, it was reorganized as the Armed Forces Public Information Management Office (국군홍보관리소). On January 1, 2000, it was designated a responsible operating agency (책임운영기관). On August 28, 2000, it was renamed the Defense Media Agency (국방홍보원). On August 16, 2022, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration granted a license for paid broadcasting services. The agency has been involved in several controversies, including allegations of unfair labor practices, the dismissal of freelance workers, and broadcasting accidents.

• Establishment of the MND Filming Unit

• Installation of the MND Information and Education Bureau Broadcasting Office

• Reorganization of the filming unit into the Armed Forces Film Production Office

• Reorganization of the broadcasting office into the Armed Forces Broadcasting Office

• Integration into the Armed Forces Newspaper Production Office

• Reorganization as the Armed Forces Public Information Management Office

• Designated as a responsible operating agency

• Renamed to Defense Media Agency (국방홍보원)

• Granted license for paid broadcasting services by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration

Official media and broadcasting arm of the South Korean Ministry of National Defense.

• Kookbang Ilbo

  Military newspaper

• KFN TV

  Military television channel

• KFN Radio

  Military radio channel

• Two-thirds of broadcasting production staff are irregular workers

• Additional allegations of workplace abuse at a public institution

• Another broadcasting accident within a month of a live broadcast accident

• No one is on your side! The harsh reality of irregular workers at DMA

• KFN TV controversy over '4-month freelance reporter' contract at half the civil servant wage

• DMA's 'retaliatory' treatment of a worker who spent 9 years without holidays

• Worker fired for 'breach of confidentiality'... court rules unfair dismissal

• Repeated 'unfair dismissal' rulings... refusing to accept and continuing litigation

• Supreme Court rules dismissal of freelance sound director who worked 9 years was unfair

• [Exclusive] North Korean defector says 'North Korea freedom'... removed from summit promotional material

Read more(12)

1. 1Defense Media Agency - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2국방홍보원 - Wikipedia (Korean)ko.wikipedia.org