South Korea filmaker banned from Iraq

Kim Young-me, a South Korean filmaker has been banned from travelling outside South Korea by the South Korean government. She could also go to prison for violating a (slightly bizarre) year-old law banning Koreans from traveling to Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia,

“They don’t want journalists working in Iraq,” she said… “I wanted my own independent and exclusive stories, not controlled or obstructed by the government… I think going to Iraq as a journalist only under the permission of the government is wrong.” link

Kim has visited Iraq at least eight times and has worked in Afghanistan and Somalia. In February 2008 she visited the US and applied and was a granted embedded reporter status and headed of to stay in iraq from May to October this year.

Kim was with the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Diyala province in July when the United States launched an offensive to drive out al-Qaida cells. Soon after she arrived, a South Korean communications officer in Tikrit noticed her name on a document and reported it to the South Korean embassy in Baghdad. Within days, the U.S. military told her she had to leave. link