Don't appoint Lee Jin-sook who has lots of unqualified reasons as KCC chairperson[Editorial]

Ryu Hee-rim, chairman of Korea Communications Standards Commission, and Kim Jae-chul, former president of MBC, are making witness testimonies at the confirmation hearing for Lee Jin-sook, a nominee for Korea Communications Commission chairperson, on July 24. Reporter Park Min-gyu

The National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee's personnel hearing on Lee Jin-sook, a nominee for Korea Communications Commission chairperson, began on July 24. During the hearing, the nominee antagonized workers, saying, “MBC has become more political because of the unions,” and said, “Management methods can be the most important reason for dismissal (of the MBC president),” and said she would examine the quality of the current surplus. “There is a big demand for privatization, but it will be difficult (to revise the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act) with the opposition securing 192 seats,” said Lee, who secretly discussed a stake sale with Choi Philip, the chairman of the Chungsoo Scholarship Foundation in 2012. She signaled an offensive awareness and willingness to take control of the MBC, which has become a thorn in the side of Yoon Suk-yeol government.

The nominee revealed her far-right and conservative political views and distorted labor-management views during the hearing. “Is there a like sit-in system?” she asked in response to a question about asking why she clicked a “like” on a comment that disparaged the May 18 Democratic Movement. In the past, she cited films, such as “Taxi Driver,” “Assassination,” and “Parasite” as “leftist films,” and responded that “ideology is embodied without realizing it,” rather than apologizing for labeling celebrities as leftist or rightist. In response to the criticism that her past remarks were politically biased, she said, “There is a problem when you talk about things that I said as a natural person.” This is absurd because it is a rebuttal to conspiracy theories, such as "MBC and KBS have called more young people to Itaewon" or "the forces that used Ferry Sewol politically." It is right to evaluate the verification of a person who will be appointed as a high-ranking government official based on his or her words and actions and achievements. How can anyone with such an outlandishly biased perception be trusted to lead the agency that is supposed to be impartial?

The nominee’s statement that the “union have dominated important decisions” is also dogmatic, and her hostile perception of unions with a large number of members is dangerously high. Unions are a vital part of fair and transparent reporting and management, and in public broadcasting, where labor and management may have different opinions, it is the job of management to reach consensus through dialogue and persuasion. In response to allegations that she used corporate cards a lot near her residence in Seoul and at golf courses and entertainment venues when she was president of Daejeon MBC, Lee repeatedly said, “I didn't spend even 10,000 won personally.”

She is not the only candidate who has been touted as an unreasonable and irrational choice to take over public broadcasting. Ryu Hee-rim, the chairman of the Korea Communications Standards Commission, was nominated as the next chairman of the commission at 6:50 p.m. on July 23, after a surprise announcement of an extraordinary meeting attended by only five commissioners from the ruling party. What is so urgent? He has caused a flurry of controversies over disciplinary action against MBC and other issues. Making such a person reappointed like a military operation the day after the end of his term may have foreshadowed another Korea Communications Standards Commission plagued by biased and hasty acts, and disruptions.

The appointment of a nominee with a long list of disqualifications and the reappointment of the worst chairman in the history of the Korea Communications Standards Commission reveals the government's intention to take control of public broadcasting. Yoon's government must stop its rush to take over public broadcasting. If not, the National Assembly should find a responsible solution from the public's perspective.

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