[Asia Economy Reporter Joo-mi Lee] Amid growing controversy over the appearance fee of broadcaster Kim Eo-jun, who hosts TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' claims have emerged that Kim's annual salary is higher than that of the TBS CEO.
According to data submitted by TBS to the office of Park Dae-chul, a member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee from the People Power Party, the annual salary of Lee Kang-taek, CEO of TBS, was identified as 135 million KRW in 2021.
Previously, the People Power Party claimed that Kim's appearance fee was about 2 million KRW per episode, totaling approximately 2.3 billion KRW over five years. On the 14th, Representative Heo Eun-ah of the People Power Party stated, "If Kim's appearance fee is 2 million KRW per episode as reported, that amounts to 40 million KRW per month and an annual salary of 480 million KRW."
In response to these claims, TBS did not disclose Kim's annual salary, citing it as 'personal information.'
Kim also rebutted on the 15th during the radio show 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' saying, "I'm not a public official, so why dig into my personal account? Stop exaggerating."
TBS, which was an affiliate of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, became independent last February as a separate foundation called 'Seoul Media Foundation TBS' during the tenure of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. However, TBS covers more than 70% of its revenue through subsidies from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
On the 18th, People Power Party spokesperson Bae Jun-young commented orally, "The Seoul Metropolitan Government provides 73% of TBS's total budget, and a significant portion of the remainder is covered by government advertisements. Yet, TBS and Kim argue that 'News Factory' generates substantial revenue and is not much related to Seoul citizens' taxes." He added, "If that is the case, then Seoul should stop its taxpayer funding to TBS."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
