'Pro-Park' ex-media figures join LKP

By Park Ji-won

Bae Hyun-jin

Two former media figures, known to have conservative leanings and were close to the former Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations, have joined the major opposition Liberty Korea Party (LPK) for the by-election in June.

The LKP said Friday the two would run against the “suppression of the press” by the current Moon Jae-in government.

The LKP held a welcoming party for former MBC anchorwoman Bae Hyun-jin and former KBS President Gil Hwan-young at the National Assembly.

Bae, who started her career at the nation’s public broadcasting company MBC in 2008, served as a primetime news presenter for seven years from June 2010.

She had a conflict with the company’s union after she refused to endorse its 2012 strike that was staged to call for the resignation of then CEO Kim Jae-chul. Union members claimed Kim forced them to make programs in favor of the then Lee administration.

Bae stepped down from her anchorwoman position in December after MBC’s new liberal head Choi Seong-ho was appointed CEO. She resigned from the company Thursday.

Gil Hwan-young

Gil, the former KBS chief, was dismissed in 2014 after its union walked out to call for his resignation for alleged political meddling in news production in favor of the then Park administration.

“Bae and Gil are the most prominent victims and symbolic figures of the Moon administration’s suppression and control of the press,” party spokesman Rep. Chang Jae-won said. “With these figures, we’ll have the Moon administration’s media suppression judged by the people.”

The party is considering nominating Bae for the Songpa B district for the by-election that will be held with local elections on June 13, and Gil for the Cheonan B district of South Chungcheong Province, where he was born.