Nude-photo furore halts magazine

The publication of Eastweek magazine was suspended yesterday by its 'shocked' owner after a public outcry caused by a front-page photograph of a naked and distressed actress taken against her will.

Emperor Group chairman Albert Yeung Sau-shing, who owns the magazine, was on his way back from North Korea last night to deal with the row caused by the photographs published last Wednesday in the weekly, which even prompted a rebuke from Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.

In a statement released last night, Mr Yeung said he was 'shocked and ashamed'.

'I had to make a painful decision to demand Eastweek stop publication immediately and take measures to settle the issue,' said Mr Yeung, who bought the magazine from the Oriental Daily News last September.

After Mr Yeung issued the statement, Eastweek president Chan Yiu-on announced he, editor-in-chief Mun Hon-ming and editor Wong Kim-man would take responsibility for publishing the photographs and would resign after settling the issue.

'We regret the stopping of publication. We express regret towards the victim, the public and the media. We feel very sorry about this,' Mr Chan said.

'Publishing the photo did not involve any money and personal interest. We have also liaised with the police to provide more information about the case,' he said.