President Lee Myung-bak, left, shake hands with Choi Si-jung, the newly named head of the Broadcasting Communications Commission, after giving him a letter of appointment at Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter

President Lee Myung-bak appointed his spy chief and top regulator for the broadcasting industry, Wednesday, ignoring public criticism of their alleged wrongdoings.

Kim Sung-ho, 58, was named director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and Choi Si-jung, 70, was appointed to head the Broadcasting Communications Commission (BCC).

Three Cabinet minister-nominees have had to step down between February and March over allegations of inappropriate real estate trading and other wrongdoings since President Lee Myung-bak took office Feb. 25.

Kim, who was nominated as Lee's first spy chief in February, failed to undergo a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly after it was boycotted by the opposition parties. They alleged he received bribes for favors from the Samsung Group while serving as a senior prosecutor several years ago.

By law, the President is entitled to appoint the NIS director without having a confirmation hearing if Assemblymen fail to hold one within 20 days after their nominations are reported to the Assembly.

The law also made it possible for Lee to appoint Choi to head the BCC without undergoing a parliamentary hearing.

Choi has been accused of engaging in inappropriate real estate trading and other irregularities.

Some media unions and civic groups as well as the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) have claimed that the nomination of Choi, a former president of Gallup Korea, would threaten the independence of the broadcasting sector.

The BCC is an independent body created by the Lee government to formulate policies on the broadcasting and communications sectors.

kys@koreatimes.co.kr