Sixth Former Journalist Poised to Lead Ministry of Culture
Yoon Seok-yeol "Expectations for Resolving K-Culture Industry Regulations"
"Blacklist? Impossible Under Yoon Seok-yeol Administration"
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has nominated former JoongAng Ilbo editor Park Bo-gyun as the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. On the 10th at 2 p.m., at the transition committee press conference in Tongui-dong, Seoul, Yoon introduced Park as "a person who has worked as a journalist for nearly 40 years and has shown great passion and interest in our culture and history."
Among the achievements highlighted during the nomination process was the discovery and reappraisal of the cultural value and diplomatic-historical significance of the Korean Empire Legation in Washington DC. Yoon explained, "He played a major role in bringing the legation back under national ownership." Park was the key figure who generated public opinion for the purchase of the legation through columns and lectures. He visited the site about twenty times to collect data and conduct research until the deal was finalized.
The legation was a base for Joseon’s independent diplomacy from 1889 to 1905. During the forced annexation by Japan in 1910, ownership was forcibly taken by the Japanese, but thanks to efforts by Park and others, the Cultural Heritage Administration repurchased it in 2012. After restoration and repairs, it reopened in May 2018. In an interview with the media at the time, Park expressed, "The purchase of the legation, a symbol of the loss of sovereignty due to the 1910 Eulsa Treaty, is equivalent to the completion of sovereignty restoration."
Born in Seoul, Park graduated from Kyungdong High School and Korea University with a degree in Political Science and Diplomacy. He joined JoongAng Ilbo in 1981 and worked as political chief, editorial writer, editor-in-chief, editor, and senior reporter. Recognized for his role in repurchasing the legation, he received the Order of Civil Merit (Moran Medal) in 2013. In the 1990s, he scooped the secret memorandum on the 'Cabinet System Constitutional Amendment Promotion' drafted by Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, and Kim Jong-pil, winning the Kwanhun Media Award and Korea Journalist Award. He served as president of the Korea Newspaper Editors Association and director of the Korea Press Ethics Commission. He joined the People Power Party in July last year and recently worked as a special adviser to Yoon Suk-yeol’s campaign. His publications include "Living and Breathing American History" and "The Blue House Secretariat."
This is the sixth time a journalist has been appointed as head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Previous journalists who held the position include Lee Oi-ryeong (1989?1991), Lee Soo-jung (1991?1993), Joo Don-sik (1994?1995), Song Tae-ho (1997?1998), and Jung Dong-chae (2004?2006). Yoon said, "Having served as president of the Korea Newspaper Editors Association, he will communicate smoothly with the media," adding, "I believe he can greatly contribute not only to the development of culture, sports, and tourism but also to resolving regulations in the K-Culture industry and the growth of cultural export industries."
Park urged journalists to "balance freedom and responsibility," emphasizing the need to "harmonize and reconcile these sometimes conflicting concepts." He said, "I will lead efforts to foster a culture where professionalism and a sense of responsibility in journalism are deeply ingrained." Regarding the 'blacklist' incident involving cultural artists during the Park Geun-hye administration, he stated, "It is a nightmare-like memory of the past," and firmly declared, "Such a thing cannot happen under the Yoon Suk-yeol government, and the very word should not exist."
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