The Korea Communications Commission Recommends Seo Gi-seok as KBS Director and Appoints Cha Ki-hwan as Visiting Director of MBC

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Korea Communications Commission held a plenary meeting on the 9th and recommended former Constitutional Court Justice Seo Gi-seok as a director of the KBS Board and appointed lawyer Cha Ki-hwan as a director of the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation, the major shareholder of MBC.

These agenda items were approved with the support of Acting Chairman Kim Hyo-jae and Standing Commissioner Lee Sang-in, while Kim Hyun, a standing commissioner recommended by the opposition, was absent. Currently, the Korea Communications Commission operates with a three-member structure.

Former Justice Seo is a candidate to succeed former KBS director Yoon Seok-nyeon, who was dismissed due to involvement in the 2020 TV Chosun license renewal score alteration issue. Seo graduated from Seoul National University Law School, passed the 21st Judicial Examination, served as chief judge of the Cheongju and Suwon District Courts, and the Seoul Central District Court, and was a Constitutional Court Justice from 2013 to 2019.

Lawyer Cha is the successor to former Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation director Lim Jeong-hwan, who recently resigned voluntarily. He also graduated from Seoul National University Law School, passed the 27th Judicial Examination, and served as a judge. Afterwards, he worked as a lawyer and served as a director of the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation from 2009 to 2015 and as a KBS director in 2015.

Their addition will bring changes to the structure of the KBS Board and the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation Board, which hold management and personnel decision-making authority over KBS and MBC. In particular, in the case of KBS, if Chairman Nam Young-jin, who is facing a hearing that day, is dismissed and replaced by a ruling party figure, the political balance will be reversed to 6 to 5 in favor of the ruling party.

Meanwhile, opposition-recommended Korea Communications Commissioner Kim Hyun stated at a press conference before the meeting, “According to the appointment criteria, KBS directors are the ruling party’s quota and Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation directors are the opposition’s quota, but submitting the agenda for resolution without any prior notice and skipping the reporting procedure violates the 'Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Korea Communications Commission' and the 'Rules on the Operation of Meetings of the Korea Communications Commission.'”