[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Kim Geunsik, chairman of the People Power Party’s Songpa-byeong district committee in Seoul and professor at Gyeongnam University, sharply criticized the controversy over broadcaster Kim Eo-jun’s appearance fees on the 15th, saying, "If you claim independence, you must be fair. If you want to be biased toward pro-Moon Jae-in factions without fairness, then do it financially independently without tax support."
On the same day, Professor Kim listed and compared '5 Differences Between Kim Eo-jun and Yoo Jae-suk' on his Facebook.
He said, "First, Yoo Jae-suk is the nation's MC, while Kim Eo-jun is a pro-Moon news presenter. Yoo Jae-suk just needs to provide laughter and fun without harming public morals, but Kim Eo-jun must maintain fairness in broadcasting and must not show political bias in news delivery."
He continued, "Second, Yoo Jae-suk never makes political statements, whereas Kim Eo-jun always makes politically biased remarks and political claims. Yoo Jae-suk is an entertainer, and Kim Eo-jun is a political figure," he evaluated.
He also wrote, "Third, Yoo Jae-suk signs written contracts through his agency, but Kim Eo-jun reportedly receives appearance fees through verbal contracts paid into a one-person company."
Next, he explained, "Fourth, Yoo Jae-suk’s appearance fees are determined based on advertising sponsorship revenue linked to viewership ratings, but Kim Eo-jun’s fees are paid with Seoul citizens’ taxes."
Finally, he summarized, "Fifth, Yoo Jae-suk shaves his beard, but Kim Eo-jun grows his beard."
Professor Kim concluded, "A political news presenter who should be fair is conducting biased broadcasts while receiving high appearance fees paid with Seoul citizens’ taxes, violating regulations and exceeding limits. It is impossible to defend this by equating it with Yoo Jae-suk’s high appearance fees."
He rebutted, "They say they cannot disclose the appearance fees due to lack of individual consent for information disclosure, but Kim Je-dong’s huge lecture fees were criticized and had to be disclosed precisely because they were paid with public taxes."
He added, "The two wings of broadcasting are independence and fairness. When fairness is demanded, they threaten that it harms independence; when independence is claimed, they dislike interference or involvement but insist on receiving tax support. What on earth is that mindset?" he questioned.
He further stated, "If you want to gather among like-minded hardline pro-Moon factions, argue, bicker, and laugh as you please, then do it on YouTube, relying on the high viewership and super chat donations instead of public taxes. No one will stop you. That is the true independence of politically biased broadcasting," he sharply criticized.
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