The KCSC’s head keeps the discussion on his alleged contracted civil petitioning behind close doors

Ryu Hee-rim, chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, has a drink while attending the first plenary meeting of the 2024 Commission at the Korea Broadcasting Corporation in Mokdong, Seoul, on Monday afternoon. Yonhap

Ryu Hee-rim, head of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), has decided to keep the discussion on the agenda related to his alleged "contracted civil petitioning" behind closed doors. When commission members recommended by opposition parties protested, Ryu adjourned the meeting and left the room.

The KCSC held its first regular meeting of this year at the Broadcasting Center in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, at 3 p.m. on January 8. Among the items on the agenda were a response to allegations of Ryu's “contracted civil petitioning," a plan to clarify the truth, and a plan to restore trust in the committee following the allegations. On December 23 last year, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission received a so-called "civil complaint instigator" allegation that Ryu mobilized his family and acquaintances to file complaints to the KCSC during the deliberation process on its citation of Newstapa.

At the start of the meeting, Ryu argued that it was appropriate to discuss the agenda related to his suspicions as a miscellaneous matter rather than as a resolution, saying, "If we discuss the agenda openly, it may damage the reputation or legitimate interests of the civil petitioner of the commission, and let's discuss it privately because it may significantly interfere with fair work performance of the ongoing audit." He then said, "Let's have discussions in the interview room (outside the meeting room),” and declared an adjournment before leaving the meeting room. Hwang Sung-wook, Heo Yeon-hoe, and Kim Woo-seok, the commission members recommended by the ruling People’s Party Party, also left the room following Ryu, while the members recommended by opposition parties Ok Shi-chan, Yoon Seong-ok, and Kim Yoo-jin stayed in their seats.

As soon as he returned to the meeting room with the members of the ruling party, Ryu said, "I will ask for opinions on the non-disclosure of the agenda," and decided to "close" the discussion of the agenda with the consent of three members of the ruling party and four others, including himself. The Korea Communications Commission Act stipulates that if a member or his or her spouse or former spouse becomes a party to the matter, the person is excluded from the execution of his or her duties, but Ryu participated in the vote. Immediately afterward, Ok loudly said, “Ryu does not have any voting rights on the three agendas to which he is the person directly involved," and added, "Why is it private all of a sudden?" As Ok continued to speak despite Ryu’s interruption, Ryu called for a second adjournment at 3:42 p.m. The members from the ruling party also left the meeting room, saying, "We agree with the adjournment."

When Ryu and the members of the ruling party did not return after more than 30 minutes, member Yoon Sung-ok continued his remarks again. However, the comments made by the commission members after the adjournment were not recorded in the minutes. Ryu said to the opposition members that the meeting would resume in two weeks because he could not continue it. Commission member Kim Yoo-jin claimed that Ryu was “trying to avoid handling the agenda and ran away because it was put on hold while using a trick not to deal with the agenda against him.

Ryu has repeatedly claimed that the whistleblower of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission is a "critical criminal who illegally leaked personal information" through his statement and New Year's address. The KCSC is currently conducting an internal audit to find the complainant, and Ryu requested the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office to investigate the affair in the name of the KCSC.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.