New broadcasting watchdog chief takes office after fierce three-day hearing
Lee Jin-sook, the new chief of Korea Communications Commission, speaks during an inaugural ceremony held at the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Lee Jin-sook, a former reporter at public broadcaster MBC, as the new chief of the state broadcasting watchdog, Wednesday, amid fierce protests by the opposition.
Yoon approved Lee's appointment as head of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) and appointed Kim Tae-gyu, vice chairperson of the state-run Anti-corruption & Civil Rights Commission, as the KCC's vice chief, his office said.
The decision came despite objections from opposition parties over allegations that Lee suppressed the labor union at MBC. She also came under attack over allegations that she misused a corporate credit card when she served as the president of MBC's Daejeon station.
"Public broadcasters, which have an obligation to promote healthy discourse, are now at the center of criticism. I will work hard to restore public trust by reestablishing the publicness and fairness of public broadcasting and media," Lee said in her inaugural speech Wednesday.
The KCC held a standing committee meeting later in the day to appoint six new board members at the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, a major shareholder of MBC, and recommend seven board members for broadcaster KBS. The president has the authority to appoint board members at KBS based on the KCC's recommendations.
The watchdog holds the key to decisions on broadcasting stations, including the appointment of board members of public broadcasters, which effectively allows it to influence public opinion.
Last week, Lee underwent a three-day confirmation hearing, and the National Assembly failed to adopt a hearing report due to the DPK's objections. By law, the president can go ahead with the appointment if the Assembly fails to adopt a hearing report even after he requests by a given deadline. In Lee's case, the deadline was Tuesday.
Rep. Kim Hyun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea speaks during a press conference, urging Lee Jin-sook to step down. Civic groups, including the Coalition for Democratic Media, joined her at the National Assembly, Wednesday. Yonhap
Six opposition parties, including the DPK, said it will propose an impeachment motion against Lee at the Assembly on Thursday. The DPK slammed Yoon's "arrogance and lack of communication," saying Yoon rejected the National Assembly's voice and went against public sentiment.
"President Yoon should stop the delusion of becoming a dictator by taking over public broadcasters," DPK floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae said during the party's Supreme Council meeting Wednesday.
"During the recent hearings, we witnessed how Lee lacks the qualifications and moral leadership to perform duties as the chief of the KCC," Park said. "Lee should be investigated for her misdeeds in attempting to suppress labor unions and control broadcasters. She also needs to face charges over embezzlement and violation of the Anti-Corruption Act."
Members of the National Assembly's science, ICT, broadcasting and communications committee from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP) filed a complaint with the police against Lee, alleging that she misused a corporate credit card. The National Union of Media Workers also filed a similar complaint.
The RKP denounced president's decision, saying it exposed his ulterior motive to turn public broadcasters into his mouthpiece.
"Yoon hastily gave Lee a letter of appointment without a single hesitation. This shows that he chose to confront the opposition, which secured overwhelming number of seats in the 22nd Assembly. It seems like he doesn't care about the opposition anymore," RKP's chief spokesperson Kim Bo-hyup said in a statement.
The opposition has accused the former KCC chiefs under the Yoon administration of unfairly running the watchdog only with a vice chief, leaving three out of five-member standing member positions vacant.
The five-member standing committee had remained vacant after former chief Kim Hong-il and subsequent acting chief Lee Sang-in resigned ahead of the DPK's move to impeach them.
The ruling People Power Party defended Yoon, saying it was up to him to make the decision.
As a reporter, Lee has spent years in some of the most dangerous places in the world, reporting on the 1990-91 Gulf War and the Iraq War. She is known as the country's first woman war correspondent.