A South Korean journalists association is cautioning local media against stigmatizing sexual minorities in their coverage of the recent uptick of COVID-19 infections in night clubs in Seoul. 

In a letter to its members on Tuesday, the Journalists Association of Korea raised issues with a rising number of media reports that it accused of instigating fear and hatred against the LGBT community with exaggerating speculations of privacy.

The journalist association said that such practices also make contact tracing tougher. 

Popular among expats and Koreans in the capital city, the district houses some nightclubs and bars that are frequented by sexual minorities.

Contact tracing in the cluster is reported to have been complicated as some may shy away from getting tested amid worries that a positive result would lead to stigmatization in Korean society, where homosexuality is widely taboo. 

The association also urged members to comply with its reporting guidelines to protect the personal information of patients and their families and refrain from exaggerating expressions of "panic," "phobia" and "fear" in their related coverage.