Presidential Office: "Separate Collection of Subscription Fees Is Independent from KBS President's Resignation"

Presidential Office: "Separate Collection, What the People Want"

The Presidential Office stated on the 8th that the separate collection of the license fee and the resignation of the KBS president are unrelated and separate issues.

A key official from the Presidential Office said during an afternoon briefing, "What our people want from KBS is the separate collection of the viewing fee. Essentially, they want to stop forcibly collecting a quasi-tax."

He added, "They want fairness in broadcasting, especially in news, and they want management to not be reckless. I am not sure if our people are demanding the KBS president to step down," he added.

Earlier, KBS President Kim Ui-cheol said at a press conference in the morning, "If I, who was appointed president under the previous administration, am the problem, I will step down," and requested, "Mr. President, please immediately withdraw the separate collection of the license fee."

The official also said, "Of course, if the president steps down, reckless management or fairness in news reporting might improve, but this is completely a separate issue from the separate collection of the viewing fee," and emphasized, "(The separate collection of the license fee) is something our people have always wanted regardless of changes in management, so it will continue."

Meanwhile, regarding the Presidential Office distributing a statement on the school violence controversy involving the son of Lee Dong-gwan, the Presidential Office's Special Advisor for External Cooperation, and whether the statement was persuasive, the official said, "Because he is a special advisor, the statement was delivered."

He continued, "It does not seem appropriate for the Presidential Office to comment on the content of the statement now," and added, "There may come a time when it needs to be addressed. We will talk about it in detail then."

Regarding the fact that this special advisor is being mentioned as a candidate for the next chairman of the Korea Communications Commission and that the ruling and opposition parties are clashing over his qualifications even before an official nomination, he said, "It is a very bizarre situation."