野 "Lee Dong-gwan, Subject to Investigation, Not Personnel Hearing... A Massive Quagmire for Yoon if Appointed"

The Democratic Party of Korea reiterated on the 20th that the appointment of Lee Dong-gwan, nominee for Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, blatantly shows the administration's intention to control the media and stated their position of 'non-appointment.'

The party's Special Committee on Press Freedom held a press briefing at the National Assembly that morning, highlighting the allegations against the nominee and the perjury committed during the confirmation hearing.

Democratic Party of Korea's Special Committee on Press Freedom Chairperson Goh Min-jeong is holding a press briefing on the nominee for Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Lee Dong-gwan, at the National Assembly on the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Go Min-jung, a party Supreme Council member, said, "The nominee relentlessly tracked and eliminated journalists, religious figures, and others through the National Intelligence Service during the Lee Myung-bak administration," adding, "He is not a subject for a confirmation hearing but for investigation."

In particular, the Democratic Party focused on President Yoon Seok-yeol’s role in directing the investigation into the nominee’s media surveillance documents while serving as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Go said, "In the 2017 NIS investigation, not only former director Won Sei-hoon but many others paid the price for their crimes," adding, "Now, there is only 'Powerful Yoon Seok-yeol,' who is desperate to join hands with anyone to enjoy power, not the tough prosecutor he once was." She further explained, "The appointment of this nominee will become a huge quagmire for President Yoon."

Lawmaker Yoon Young-chan also raised his voice, saying, "If this nominee is appointed, it is questionable whether the public can truly understand President Yoon’s wisdom and spirit as a legal expert," and added, "The people's will to protect press freedom and constitutional order will burn even more fiercely."

The Democratic Party also raised suspicions of violations of the law by the nominee. Lawmaker Cho Seung-rae claimed, "The nominee’s attempt to call the chairman of Hana High School, where his son was enrolled, to cover up allegations of school violence against his son not only violates the School Violence Prevention Act but also breaches the Private School Act, which prohibits the foundation chairman from interfering in academic affairs."

Lawmaker Seo Dong-yong said, "The nominee’s son hit the victim’s head against the desk 300 times and laid him down on a bed to stomp on him," adding, "Thanks to his spouse’s painstaking efforts, these facts were not recorded in the school records, but if they had been, his son would not have been able to enter Korea University."

The Democratic Party also pointed out that in 2019, the nominee held a book launch event at the National Assembly Library with a co-author, which violated regulations allowing the library to be rented only for members of the National Assembly and its institutions, as well as the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party stated that the refusal of institutions to submit materials during the confirmation hearing process went too far and decided to file complaints related to this against a total of 13 institutions, including the Korea Communications Commission, the Presidential Secretariat, the National Intelligence Service, and the Ministry of Education. They are also considering legal action regarding multiple instances of perjury committed by the nominee during the confirmation hearing.