PD Note


PD Note is a controversial investigative journalism program on MBC in South Korea.
PD Note is noteworthy for its role in stimulating the US beef protest and raising questions regarding the subsequently-discredited Hwang Woo-suk stem cell cloning.

Name

The "PD" is a Konglish abbreviation for "producer".

Airtime

Mad Cow Disease

On April 27, 2008, PD Note televised an episode called "Is American Beef Really Safe from Mad Cow Disease?" which covered mad cow disease and alleged dangers associated with American beef. The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries filed a legal suit against the producers as it announced that the program was distorted and exaggerated. However, the producers were exonerated by the Seoul central district court and the Supreme Court in 2010.

The prosecutors and sponsors

On April 20, 2010, PD Note televised an episode called "The prosecutors and sponsors" which investigates how Korean prosecutors are "sponsored" by businesses, receiving bribes in the form of money, drinks and women. They began the investigation after receiving information from a man about 57 former prosecutors being "sponsored." As the episode was well received by the audience, the second episode was broadcast on June 8, 2010.

The Four Major Rivers Project

The Korean Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs applied for an injunction to stop the airing of a PD Note episode, "The Six-Meter-Deep Secret of the Four Major Rivers," which was scheduled to be broadcast on August 17, 2010. The episode deals with a controversy about The Four Major Rivers Project launched by the Korean government in 2009, which is aimed at developing water resources by securing a sufficient water supply, preventing floods, upgrading water quality and reviving ecosystems, as well as boosting regional economies. Based on PD Note’s report on the episode which had already been released, the Ministry insisted that the episode contained false information. They requested that the Seoul Southern District Court stop further spread of the false information among the public. However, their request was dismissed; the episode was broadcast on August 24, 2010. According to the producers of PD Note, the MBC management also requested that they postpone the episode.

Awards