Lee Yong-ho, “It’s Hard for a Reasonable Person with Common Sense to Serve as Chairman of the Communications Commission”

Lee Dong-kwan, special advisor to the president on international cooperation, giving a press briefing when he served as Cheongwadae spokesperson in the Lee Myung-bak government. Kyunghyang Shinmun Archives

On June 13, People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Lee Yong-ho said, “Since the press itself is biased, it is actually difficult for an ordinary reasonable person with common sense to go (and serve as chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission),” and argued that that was why people in the ruling PPP and government actually believed that someone like Lee Dong-kwan, special advisor to the president on international cooperation, should occupy that position.

Lee appeared on Park Jae-hong’s Single Round Match Tuesday and said, “The government and the PPP seem to think that he (Lee Dong-kwan) is the best person to reform the media.” He argued, “When it comes to KBS, MBC or YTN, the people seem slightly disappointed in terms of impartiality and fairness of the media,” and said, “Even if a reasonable person went to the Communications Commission, I wonder if he would be able to quickly correct the bias, which has been a constant.

The PPP legislator further said, “If an ordinary reasonable person with common sense goes there (Communications Commission), it could actually be harder,” and argued, “I think people in the government and ruling PPP think someone like Special Advisor Lee should go, since the press is opposing the appointment of someone like him.”

Lee explained his view over the phone on Wednesday, “Due to the National Union of Media Workers, which is an affiliate of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the present media is a biased playground, which will be difficult to correct just with the good intentions of moderate and reasonable people. I made the remark meaning that someone with the drive and experience in media should serve as chair of the Communications Commission.”

Special Advisor Lee Dong-kwan served as the Cheongwadae spokesperson, senior secretary for public relations, and special advisor on media in the Lee Myung-bak government, which stirred controversy for suppressing the freedom of the press in an attempt to dominate public broadcasting networks like KBS and MBC. Lee also appeared in a far-right YouTube channel and claimed that conservative rights in their right minds did not watch over-the-air networks.