A Chinese contract staffer at Japan's NHK stated on air that the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture were "Chinese territory" during its international radio program, the public broadcaster announced on the same day, Misaki Morokuma reported for Mainichi Japan.
The broadcaster lodged a strong protest with the man through the affiliated organization, and the latter group plans to terminate his contract. I Photo: Copyright © National Land Image Information (Color Aerial Photographs) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
According to NHK, the staff member, who is in his 40s, had been working under a service contract with NHK and its affiliated organization since 2002, translating Japanese news into Chinese and reading the text on the radio.
He made the remark, which was not in the news script, during the Chinese language program aired shortly after 1 p.m., immediately after reading a news report about an incident the same day where graffiti was found at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, where Japanese Class-A war criminals are enshrined.
NHK stated that they were unaware of why he made such a remark. The broadcaster lodged a strong protest with the man through the affiliated organization, and the latter group plans to terminate his contract.
NHK commented, "It was inappropriate that a statement unrelated to the news was broadcast, and we deeply apologize. We will thoroughly implement measures to prevent a recurrence."
The broadcaster reported on the case on its "News Watch 9" evening news program and separately held a briefing for other media outlets.
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