Yusang Han, a master’s student in Television Journalism at Yerevan State University and a Korean national, has expressed dissatisfaction over his appearance in a report aired on Channel 5 on January 6. The report focused on a political action by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
On Christmas Day, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan marched through Yerevan with his supporters, from Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral to Katoghike Church. In a promo for the Haylur news bulletin aired on Channel 5, the political action was presented, and Yusang could also be seen among the crowd surrounding Pashinyan. The student said he had been at the location to attend the Christmas liturgy only and was unaware that a gathering was planned in the churchyard.
“My face has been used as the main image for political manipulation. I am a foreign researcher who was simply present at the Holy Mass, yet I have been portrayed as a member or official of the ruling party. As a journalism student, I am shocked by this approach. This is not merely an ‘editorial choice’; it is an attempt to exploit a person’s honor and dignity for political purposes,” Yusang Han
Channel 5 has dismissed Yusang’s complaint. The reportage does not mention the student at all, nor does it say that foreign nationals were participating. Yusang appears on screen only once or twice during a segment in which the journalist says that Nikol Pashinyan’s supporters have replaced hats bearing the slogan “Dukhov” with hats featuring a cross. Yusang is shown standing next to a supporter wearing such a hat, which is how he appeared in the footage.
“Not a single word was mentioned about him in our broadcast. It should be noted that the footage shows him participating not in the liturgy but in the political action that followed it. However, the core of the issue is not just this; for some reason, he seemed to believe that the text was about him. At the moment he points to, the following sentence is being broadcast on our air: ‘The march of Pashinyan’s religious caravan with defrocked priests, who have replaced ‘Dukhov’ caps with cross-bearing caps, and a mega-cross. We don’t mean to question his knowledge of Armenian. However, in our language, the word “caravan” conveys not only the literal meaning of “a group of camels” but also the metaphorical meaning of “a group of people traveling together.” Additionally, in the frame where he is seen, another man’s hat with a cross is highlighted with a red square. It is evident that the following text refers to the highlight: “people who replaced the ‘dukhov’ caps with the caps bearing crosses.
Had it not been for the highlight in a red square, the concerns about attributing the ‘subtext’ to everyone seen in the frame might have been understandable. However, the highlight crosses that issue from the agenda as well. If the only concern is that he appeared in the frame, we regret it, but he took part in a public event where video recording was not prohibited. Many media outlets showed footage, including live broadcasts,” Channel 5 told Media.am.
The television company is demanding a public apology from Yusang Han for allegedly attempting to tarnish their reputation.
Yusang Han argues that it is unethical for a reporter to use the offensive terms “camels” and “caravan” while simultaneously showing his face. He believes that this not only humiliated him but also all the participants of the march.
“The journalist, while addressing the audience, used the phrase ‘people who replaced hats with political slogans with hats that have crosses,’ mocking us as if we were a secret group with political motives. At that very moment of mockery, my face was clearly in the frame,” he told media.am.
Yusang stated that he has officially notified the Embassy of the Republic of Korea about the situation. “The Embassy is currently conducting a thorough legal and diplomatic investigation to protect the rights of its citizen. I have also informed Bryusov University because, as a future Korean language lecturer, it is essential for my reputation to remain free from political speculation,” he explained.
Yusang also draws attention to the offensive comments about him on social media following his on-air appearance.
“I am deeply disappointed. I have come to Armenia with great dedication. I am currently studying about 40,000 pages of materials from the archives of Italy and Turkey for a scholarly work on the Armenian Genocide. However, following the report by Channel 5, I have become the target of mockery on social media, where people are misrepresenting my nationality, calling me ‘Chinese’ and portraying me as a political agent. This is a clear example of blatant hate speech and racism. I feel threatened and insulted because a media outlet has chosen to use my image for its political agenda. I have already become a target of public harassment and online lynching. I receive private messages accusing me of “unconstitutional actions” and trying to attach political labels to me. This shows that 5tv’s manipulative editing has incited hatred against me and put my safety at risk. This issue goes beyond journalistic ethics; it is an attack on my life and my peaceful scientific work,” stated Yusang.
Yerevan Press Club expert Hakob Karapetyan told media.am that the person feels he has been unfairly targeted by a media outlet, claiming it has attributed political views to him that he does not actually hold. However, after reviewing Channel 5’s report, Karapetyan concluded that the TV channel is not directly targeting him, nor has it verbally or otherwise targeted Yusang Han.
“There was a public event with a large crowd, and he was seen on television twice, so this cannot be considered targeting. However, following the report, it is evident that he is now being targeted. Mocking and insulting statements are being directed at him. I want to emphasize that, at present, there are no problematic comments about him on Channel 5’s social media. The comments circulating are made by third parties who are portraying him in a negative light, emphasizing his nationality, and spreading hate speech and intolerance,” said Hakob Karapetyan. He urged Yusang Han to contact the Media Ethics Monitoring Body to investigate the matter further.
Channel 5 does not target anyone, as it is against their policy. They also monitor comments on their official social media pages to ensure that they remain appropriate.
