Will the Heads of Paid Broadcasting Associations under the Ministry of Science and ICT Change One After Another?

Cho Sun-yong, Chairman of Korea TV Home Shopping Association, Resigns; Successor Search Underway

Chairs of paid broadcasting-related associations under the Ministry of Science and ICT are expected to change one after another. The paid broadcasting-related associations include the Korea Cable TV Broadcasting Association, Korea TV Home Shopping Association, Korea IPTV Broadcasting Association, and Korea T-Commerce Association.

An official from the paid broadcasting association said on the 27th, "Cho Soon-yong, chairman of the Korea TV Home Shopping Association (72), recently expressed his intention to resign during his term due to internal issues," adding, "We are looking for a new chairman." Cho Soon-yong, who served as Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House during the Kim Dae-jung administration, took office as chairman of the Korea TV Home Shopping Association in March 2018. He was the first external figure, not a member company, to take on the full-time chairman position.

Min Jae-seok, Chairman of the Korea T-Commerce Association (from the left), Hong Il-pyo, former member of the People Power Party, Choi Young-beom, Special Advisor for External Cooperation at the Presidential Secretariat.

Potential successors include former People Power Party lawmakers Han Seon-kyo (64) and Hong Il-pyo (67). Han Seon-kyo, a former announcer, previously challenged for the T-Commerce Association chairmanship. Hong Il-pyo is a former legal professional. An association official hinted, "We hear that former lawmaker Hong Il-pyo hopes to become the home shopping association chairman."

Earlier, on the 5th, Min Jae-seok (60), former president of the Korea Post Business Promotion Agency, took office as the 4th chairman of the Korea T-Commerce Association. Chairman Min passed the 34th Administrative Examination and served as a public official at the Ministry of Science and ICT before becoming the 49th president of the Korea Post Business Promotion Agency. Former chairman Kim Hyung-wook (60) served as a secretary at the Presidential Secretariat during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs to Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook.

The remaining chairman positions are at the Korea Cable TV Broadcasting Association and the Korea IPTV Broadcasting Association. The terms of the Cable TV Broadcasting Association chairman and the IPTV Broadcasting Association chairman last until next year and 2025, respectively. However, speculation is already emerging. A broadcasting industry official said, "The atmosphere changed due to the voluntary resignation of the home shopping association chairman," adding, "The cable and IPTV broadcasting association chairmen were appointed during the previous administration, so it is highly likely they will not complete their terms."

Yoon Do-han (63), chairman of the Korea IPTV Broadcasting Association, is a former Senior Secretary for Public Communication to the President during the Moon Jae-in administration. When he took office last year, Chairman Yoon was criticized as a 'preemptive appointment' at the end of the administration. The next chairman candidate is Choi Young-beom (63), Special Advisor for External Cooperation at the Presidential Secretariat. Choi graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a degree in law and worked at Dong-A Ilbo and SBS before serving as head of communications at Hyosung Group. He also served as the first Senior Secretary for Public Relations at the Presidential Secretariat under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

Lee Rae-woon (64), chairman of the Korea Cable TV Broadcasting Association, graduated from Korea University with a degree in political science and diplomacy and served as editor-in-chief of Yonhap News Agency, news director of Yonhap News TV, and head of the news bureau. Chairman Lee also worked as a media special advisor for the Democratic Party when former President Moon Jae-in was the party leader in 2017. Song Jae-jo (65), former CEO of Korea Economic TV, who graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in journalism and mass communication and completed graduate studies at Michigan State University, is mentioned as a successor. He is a senior-junior alumnus of President Yoon Suk-yeol from Chung-Ang High School for two years.