3179 Injunction prevents KBS from airing Tonj Don Bosco Brass Band Tour
austraLasia #3179
Injunction
prevents KBS from airing Tonj Don Bosco Brass Band Tour
SEOUL: 9 January 2012 --
A 4th January injunction by the Seoul Southern District Court
has
prevented national South Korean Broadcaster KBS from airing
footage of
a recent tour of South Korea by the South Sudanese Don Bosco
Brass Band
formed by the deceased Fr John Lee SDB, upholding the
defendant's claim
(Don Bosco Secondary School, Tonj) that KBS had arbitrarily
altered a
written agreement in favour of the Corporation that KBS and
another
party have created to raise funds for Tonj. The Salesian
Principal at
Tonj school has succeeded Fr John Lee as conductor and
assistant for
the Band.
'Don't cry Tonj', a film made by KBS promoting the work of Fr
John Lee,
focused on the brass band he created and his social and
medical welfare
work amongst the poor in and around Tonj, South Sudan. It was
a
heart-rending film and deeply touched the Korean public,
though it left
out real reference to John Lee's priestly and religious life
and the
fact that he was part of a Salesian community which continues
its
mission in this country and in Tonj in particular. The
film, and three
subsequent KBS prodctions on the theme have raised an
estimated 3
billion Korean Won (ca. 2.8 million USD).
It was KBS, the Korean Exchange Bank and the 'Lee Tae Seok
Love Sharing
Corporation', that invited the Don Bosco Brass Band to Korea
last year.
The invitation was made without due consultation with the
Salesians in
Korea, and a written agreement was modified later to suggest
that KBS
and the Corporation had certain rights to the video footage
that would
be produced. The tour also took place in the context of the
Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation meeting that was taking
place in
Seoul at the time.
When the Band arrived in Korea they were asked to wear a
different
uniform with a Smile Tonj logo, a logo which was really an
alias for
the Corporation. The tour was filmed, and the Principal of
Tonj school
who was accompanying the group, realised that all of this was
going to
be used to promote fundraising that would not have any
connection with
the Salesian efforts in Tonj. He therefore asked Korean
Salesians for
support in preventing the airing of this footage in
particular. This
was the decision that was upheld by the Seoul Southern
District Court
Court. The decision only regards the violation of the Tonj
school's
rights. It does not deal with the question of publicity rights
generally regarding the whole question of fundraising in
association
with Fr John Lee's name. All in all the Court's decision ran
to 12
pages plus two pages of attachments (the original and the
altered
agreement). The upshot of the decision is that his particular
footage
cannot be broadcast publicly in South
Korea through any medium.
An email to Salesian Family members in KOR Province thanks
members for
supporting this long process of litigation with their prayer
and
pointing out that despite the difficulties a beautiful relationship has
flourished between Salesian Family KOR and the the Family in
the Sudan
Delegation
