Scuffle in Beijing

[Anchor Lead]

Shocking video shows Korean photojournalists covering the president's trip to China being beaten and by Chinese security guards, leaving them with injuries. There's circumstantial evidence the incident may not have necessarily been accidental.

[Soundbite] "Let go! Let go! Don't touch!"

[Pkg]

Chinese security guards block Korean journalists who were covering President Moon Jae-in in China. In this process, the guards dragged a photojournalist of the Maeil Business Newspaper to the hallway and assaulted him.

[Soundbite] "Stop! Please! No! What's going on?"

There's footage of the guards kicking the journalist fallen to the floor. Officials of Korea's presidential office who were at the scene tried to stop the guards but it was little use. The journalist sustained injuries including a fractured facial bone. Some ten minutes before this incident, Chinese security guards grabbed a Hankook Ilbo daily photojournalist by the throat and threw him down to the ground. A day prior at a Korea-China business forum, there was also a scuffle as Chinese security policy blocked coverage by Korean reporters. This caused the journalists to refuse to cover the event. The series of events may appear as incidental. But it's worthwhile to note the violence took place after Chinese state media, in an unusual move, strongly criticized Korean media reports related to the bilateral summit. The Seoul government has conveyed strong protest to Beijing and requested an investigation. The Chinese foreign ministry said it's also taking interest in the matter and looking into the facts. It's to be seen how China will go on to handle the latest incident.