Reporter Kim Sung-joon, left, and announcer Park Sun-young will anchor the SBS 8 o'clock News starting March 21. / Courtesy of SBS

By Lee Hyo-won

A pair of new anchors, reporter Kim Sung-joon and announcer Park Sun-young, have been cast to present the SBS 8 o’clock News, SBS announced Sunday.

Beginning March 21, Kim and Park will deliver weekdays news on one of the most widely viewed national TV programs, replacing reporter Shin Dong-wook and announcer Kim So-won. Park previously anchored the news on weekends.

Reporters Song Wook and announcer Jang Sun-i will succeed Park and reporter Park Jin-ho for the Saturday and Sunday evening news. Meanwhile, reporter Kim Yong-tae and announcer Lee Hye-seung will anchor the newly launched weekend morning news program.

The new casting was decided after three days of auditioning 67 reporters and announcers that had applied for the positions.

“The audition took into account evaluations of each candidate from not only within the company but by outsourcing, showing the audition tapes to people outside SBS. It was the most objective decision making process,” said Choi Young-bum, SBS editor-in-chief, in a press release.

Anchor Kim Sung-joon was born in 1964 and majored in political science at Washington University (bachelor’s) and Columbia University (master’s). He has served on SBS’ politics desk, including a stint in D.C. as a correspondent, and became a familiar face as the presenter of the “Morning Wide” news program.

Park Sun-young was born in 1982 and studied library and information science at Dongduk Womens University. Since May 2008 she has been the face for the weekend SBS 8 o’clock News and also presents popular programs for movies and children’s animations.