MBC president Kim Jae-chul

By Chung Ah-young

Incumbent president Kim Jae-chul, 58, has been renamed as the head of MBC, the nation’s second largest TV station.

The state-controlled Foundation for Broadcast Culture, MBC’s largest shareholder, decided to reappoint Kim as president, which now has to be officially approved at a general meeting of shareholders later this month.

Kim won more than half of the votes from the board of directors of the foundation among other candidates who were interviewed for the post.
The foundation gave high marks for Kim’s contribution to the stabilization of the company last year and his management plan to strengthen the competitiveness of content and diversify the profit model.

Kim graduated from Korea University and earned a master’s degree at Wales University. He worked as a reporter at MBC since 1979.

He became the president succeeding Ohm Ki-young last year but faced controversy over his close relationship with President Lee Myung-bak when he worked as a journalist. Under his leadership, the labor union went on strike for 40 days last April. One of the board members proposed dismissing Kim in July, blaming him for the strike but it was voted down.

His second term will run for three years.