Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
KBS new chief nominated
By Kim Rahn
Gil Hwan-young
By Kim Rahn
KBS Executive Vice President Gil Hwan-young has been nominated as the next chief of the broadcasting company.
The board of directors selected Gil to succeed current President Kim In-kyu, Friday, after interviewing 11 candidates.
They will ask President Lee Myung-bak to appoint the 58-year-old to the chief position Monday. If the President appoints him, Gil will take office on Nov. 24 for a three-year term.
He will be the first KBS program director to become chief of the organization ― most previous heads were former reporters.
A graduate of Korea University, he joined KBS in 1981 and has held positions such as correspondent in Paris, chief of the broadcaster’s Daejon station, and head of TV production and content headquarters. He became vice president in September 2011.
But he is not being welcomed by the broadcaster’s unions. One of the firm’s two unions, mainly comprised of reporters and program directors, claim that Gil was in charge of making government-friendly programs when he was the content headquarters chief. It said earlier that it would stage a strike if he became president.
Gil’s predecessor Kim has also faced opposition from the unions, which claimed the former aide to President Lee prevented fair journalism.