"Return Joo Jin-woo!" KBS Viewer Board Flooded with Complaints

Park Min KBS President, Large-Scale Personnel Changes Immediately After Inauguration
Viewer Boards Explode Over Show Cancellations and Broadcast Interruptions

As soon as Park Min, the new KBS president, took office on the 13th, he took personnel measures including notifying Joo Jin-woo, the host of the radio program 'Joo Jin-woo Live,' of his removal, sparking strong backlash from viewers.

Over 500 Viewer Complaints Within 3 Days of President Park Min's Appointment

As of 7 a.m. on the 16th, the KBS Viewer Counseling Office's free bulletin board received over 500 complaints within just three days of President Park's appointment. This is in stark contrast to the previous daily new posts, which were only about 10. The bulletin board allows only members who have completed real-name verification and other procedures on the KBS website to post.

Most of the complaints expressed dissatisfaction with the changes following President Park's appointment, such as "Restore 'Joo Jin-woo Live' to its original state!" "Bring back The Live," and "Replacing the 9 o'clock news anchor is ruthless." One viewer protested, "Bring back 'Joo Jin-woo Live' immediately. If you operate like this, I won't pay the TV license fee." Park was appointed as the 26th president of the Korean Broadcasting System by President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 12th.

'News 9' Anchor Replacement, 'The Live' Program Removed from Schedule

[Image source=KBS Viewer Consultation Office capture]

On his first day in office, President Park carried out large-scale personnel changes involving key executives and program hosts. During this process, Lee So-jung, who had been the anchor of KBS 'News 9' for four years, reportedly received a sudden notice of removal from a person with personnel authority.

Park Jang-beom, the new anchor, said on the 13th during 'News 9,' "We will strive to overcome the partisan controversies that have shaken the identity of public broadcasting and broadcast news programs that prioritize public interest to restore viewers' trust."

Additionally, 'The Live,' a KBS current affairs and culture program that had maintained the highest ratings, was canceled and excluded from the schedule until the 16th, leading to speculation that it is effectively being phased out. In response, the production team of 'The Live' demanded an explanation from management, stating, "Even a small shop closing for a day provides a reason and asks for understanding."

Park Min, KBS President, is moving to the podium to hold a national press conference on the 14th at the KBS Art Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

In particular, Joo Jin-woo, the host of 'Joo Jin-woo Live,' wrote on his social media on the 13th, "I was contacted by KBS this morning. They told me not to come to the company anymore, to quit broadcasting. I was cut from 'Joo Jin-woo Live,'" adding, "I couldn't even do the final broadcast."

He also said, "A KBS executive said, 'Giving a dismissal notice on the day of the broadcast is unreasonable and impolite, but it can't be helped.' They said, 'The president is very tough, so there's no choice.'" He claimed, "I haven't been given an explanation about what will happen to 'Joo Jin-woo Live' going forward, but it seems destined to disappear soon."

The program was also mentioned during President Park's confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on the 7th. At that time, Park responded to criticism that 'Joo Jin-woo Live' was biased toward the opposition by saying, "I will decide on measures after comprehensively reviewing the administrative sanctions received and the impact on KBS."

The KBS branch of the National Union of Mediaworkers stated, "Since President Park Min's first day in office, violations of the programming regulations and collective agreements have continued," and argued, "These measures violate the Broadcasting Act, which stipulates that 'freedom and independence of broadcasting programming shall be guaranteed, and no one may regulate or interfere with broadcasting programming.'"