Strike at MBC Drags On

Prolonged Walkout Disrupting News and Other Main Programs

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Staff Reporter

Anchors and hundreds of other unionized workers at MBC, the nation's second-largest broadcaster, staged a strike for the ninth day, Tuesday, disrupting main programming as they showed no signs of reaching an early settlement with management.

They are demanding that MBC President Kim Jae-chul step down in order to preserve the neutrality of the public broadcasting network.

The station's union claims that Cheong Wa Dae is influencing personnel management and appointments at MBC through Kim.

From news to comedic reality shows, the majority of popular programs have been suspended by the strike.

Some 300 union members held a meeting Monday morning in the main lobby of the broadcaster, vowing to continue their walkout until Kim, appointed in February, quits.

According to the union, Kim promised to sack Hwang Hee-man, a former news chief appointed by the Foundation for Broadcast Culture (FBC), but instead, made him vice president of the station.

The FBC is a state-controlled foundation and the largest shareholder of MBC with a 70-percent stake, and has filled most of board member seats with people labeled conservative.

The union protested this decision and initiated the walkout last week, demanding the resignation of both Kim and Hwang.

The union also plans to hold a candlelit rally today. Kim has not been going into work during the walkout. "Kim's attitude shows that he is trying to prolong this situation," a union spokesman said.

Negotiations Unlikely

However, the company is standing firm in its stance, calling the walkout "illegal" and urging union members to return to work.

"MBC's main obligation as a public broadcaster has been damaged as the strike has continued for more than a week," Kim said in a letter to the employees, Tuesday. He said viewers will not agree to the demands of the union as they are not subject to negotiation with management.

On top of the call for the president to quit, the union is demanding that the station's management file a lawsuit against former FBC chairman Kim Woo-ryong, who said that the MBC president had wiped out "leftist" executives through a recent personnel reshuffle, at the request of the presidential office.

"The union is sticking to its demands and ignoring management's call for negotiation," Kim Jae-chul said. "It's not right for the union to stage an illegal strike. They are preventing the company president and vice president from coming to the office, which is something that should not happen."

The Ministry of Labor also ruled the strike unlawful since it stems from a complaint about personnel management, not real working conditions.

As the walkout continues, popular entertainment programs are unable to air new episodes.

"Infinite Challenge," a weekly show, aired old episodes on April 3 and 10; and "Sunday Night" aired existing a previous show on April 10 as well. The daily sitcom "More Charming by the Day" was suspended from Monday as have other popular entertainment shows.

Executives are looking for substitute programming in preparation for a longer strike.