After MBC's PD수첩 aired an in-depth report on alleged corruption involving NongHyup Central Cooperative Chairman Kang Ho-dong, NongHyup prepared an internal briefing that included a list of anonymous internal whistleblowers. The document also outlined next steps — including plans to “engage in outreach activities” with people named in the broadcast — prompting concerns that the cooperative might be trying to identify sources. NongHyup says the file was a routine internal report and denies any intent to expose whistleblowers.
According to Media Today, NongHyup's public relations department drafted the briefing on the 14th, after the PD수첩 episode titled “Chairman Kang Ho-dong and the Corruption Department Store.” The PR summary documented the program's allegations, including claims that the chairman accepted cash, that slush funds were created, and that NongHyup engaged in lobbying of the media and the National Assembly.
The PR team created a separate page labeled “Key Interviews / Internal Tips” that listed people who appeared on the broadcast and summarized their main remarks. Names of professors, lawyers, and lawmakers who criticized NongHyup appeared alongside names of anonymous current and former NongHyup insiders — including employees and retirees from Tongyeong NongHyup and former executives.
As a response plan, the PR team listed “engage in outreach activities targeting the people mentioned in the broadcast.” Critics say this raises the prospect of pressuring critical experts, attempting to identify internal sources, or otherwise silencing dissent.
A source who tipped off PD수첩, identified only as A, said, \"When I saw the people featured in the broadcast compiled into a list, I thought they could mobilize acquaintances, friends, and family to threaten them.\" A added, \"PD수첩 took steps to protect sources by using stand-ins, but I worried they would analyze speech patterns and try to identify them anyway.\"
A NongHyup PR official told reporters on the 17th, \"We simply summarized the broadcast for people who might not have seen it. We didn't add anything beyond the program. We didn't only compile negative interviews or internal tips.\"
When asked what \"engage in outreach activities targeting the people mentioned\" meant, the PR official said, \"It means we would apologize to anyone whose image appeared in negative coverage, or who unintentionally appeared and might feel upset. How could we use this document to find whistleblowers? We had no such intent.\"
