South Korea saw its ranking in the World Press Freedom Index drop sharply this year. 

According to the index for 2024 released by Reporters Without Borders(RSF) on Friday, South Korea ranked 62nd out of 180 nations, dropping 15 notches from last year.

The RSF said while South Korea is “a liberal democracy that respects media freedom and pluralism,” “tradition and business interests often prevent journalists from fulfilling their role as watchdogs, and populist political tendencies stoke hatred of journalists.”

In particular, the group said journalists in South Korea “are sometimes victims of online harassment, a practice against which they have little protection.”

Meanwhile, North Korea came in 177th place and Norway kept the number one spot for the eighth consecutive year.