KCSC chairman conducts personnel reshuffle to punish workers who challenge him

Ryu Hee-rim, chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, speaks during the first plenary meeting of the 2024 Commission at the Korea Broadcasting Center in Mokdong, Seoul, on Monday afternoon. Yonhap News

More than half of the team leaders who challenged Ryu Hee-lim, chairman of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), over the launch of the agency's fake news center have been replaced.

In a press release on January 29, the KCSC announced that it had replaced 14 out of its 28 team leaders, including interim temporary task forces. Of them, five moved their positions horizontally and nine were appointed as a new team leader. Eight of the nine workers stepping down from a team leader post are those who have recently “rebelled” against Ryu.

In October last year, 11 team leaders of the agency delivered a written opinion letter to Ryu about promoting deliberation on fake news and establishing a fake news center. They said, “We are concerned that there could be a controversy about media suppression and censorship. We ask you to refrain from making hasty decisions and implement them later after supplementing legislation and preparing standards for deliberation.”

Seven of the 11 team leaders who wrote the opinion letter were replaced on the 29th, and one applied for training. Six of the seven had been in their current positions for less than a year. Three team leaders with a third-grade position were appointed as a "researcher,” a new position which did not exist before, and one of them was transferred to its office in Busan. Four fourth-grade team leaders were demoted to deputy directors. In general, there are very few cases of demotion to deputy director after being promoted to team leader in the KCSC, except for reshuffle personnel to censure employees for misconduct.

On Blind, an anonymous community application for office workers, there were complaints from KCSC employees. An employee wrote, "I thought it was a list of people who are subject to disciplinary punishment. The commission reduced the number of employees because it didn’t need more workers in the local offices, but I cannot believe they even created a new position.” He added, "The team leaders who were demoted are the good team leaders who were recognized by their juniors and seniors until right before there was the controversy over chairman Ryu. I’m very ashamed, angry, and sorry for them."

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