Allegations of Pressuring to Lower Scores
Policy Committee Member Also Booked...Suspicions of Arbitrary Assignment of Reviewers
Chairman Hansanghyeok: "Comprehensive Programming Review Conducted Independently"
Last September, employees were coming and going in the Broadcasting and Communications Commission (KCC) building at the Government Gwacheon Complex while the prosecution was conducting a search and seizure. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The prosecution is accelerating its investigation as a Broadcasting and Communications Commission (BCC) official suspected of improper interference in the reauthorization process of comprehensive programming channels (general programming channels) has been detained.
According to the legal community on the 12th, Moon Kyung-hoon, the judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Northern District Court, issued an arrest warrant the previous day for Cha, a BCC manager accused of obstruction of business. Judge Moon stated the reason for issuing the warrant was "there is factual evidence regarding important charges and a concern for evidence tampering." However, Yang, a BCC director who was also subject to an arrest warrant request, was not detained due to insufficient evidence and the presence of legal disputes.
The prosecution believes that in April 2020, the BCC deliberately lowered the score of the general programming channel TV Chosun to grant it conditional reauthorization. At that time, TV Chosun scored 653.39 points out of 1,000, surpassing the reauthorization threshold of 650 points. However, in the key evaluation category of "feasibility of fulfilling public responsibility and fairness of broadcasting, and regional, social, and cultural necessity," it scored 104.15 points, falling short of the 105-point standard. If the score in the key evaluation category is below the standard, conditional reauthorization or denial of approval occurs. The prosecution alleges that Director Yang and Manager Cha coerced the evaluators to assign lower scores. However, Yang and Cha reportedly maintain that the scores were revised following due process.
With the detention of a BCC official, it is expected that the prosecution will intensify its investigation into the BCC's interference in the general programming channel reauthorization. Earlier this month, the prosecution consecutively summoned evaluators who participated in the general programming channel assessment to verify communications with BCC officials and whether improper instructions were given. Additionally, Lee, a BCC policy committee member known to be a close aide of Chairman Han Sang-hyuk, was booked on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights. Lee is suspected of conspiring with Director Yang and Manager Cha to arbitrarily assign evaluators. The prosecution reportedly conducted a search of Lee's office and performed digital forensic analysis on Lee's mobile phone seized during the search.
The BCC expressed discomfort with the prosecution's investigation. Chairman Han stated in a press release the previous day, "The general programming channel reauthorization evaluation is conducted independently by evaluators appointed through consultation among BCC commissioners and goes through the resolution process of the chairman and standing commissioners." He added, "If audits and inspections targeting the BCC are intended to pressure the chairman to resign prematurely, such actions must be immediately stopped as they are unjust."
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