'Impeachment Proposal' Kim Hong-il, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Resigns Voluntarily...6 Months After Appointment (Update)

Resignation Before Plenary Report... Presidential Approval
Successor Lee Jin-sook, Former Daejeon MBC President, Mentioned

Kim Hong-il, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), voluntarily resigned on the 2nd before the impeachment motion against him was reported to the National Assembly plenary session. This came about six months after he retired from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and took office as KCC chairman.

Kim Hong-il, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the day, Chairman Kim did not attend the scheduled Cabinet meeting and instead participated in a morning retirement ceremony. He chose to resign voluntarily before the impeachment motion, proposed by the opposition party, was reported to the National Assembly plenary session. President Yoon Suk-yeol also accepted Kim’s resignation and approved the dismissal.

If the impeachment motion is reported to the plenary session and passed by a vote between 24 and 72 hours afterward, the chairman’s duties will be suspended until the Constitutional Court’s decision is made. This will cause a long-term 'all-stop' of KCC operations, including the recent initiation of procedures for appointing directors of public broadcasters.

Kim’s resignation is interpreted as an effort to prevent a prolonged suspension of KCC operations, similar to the resignation of former KCC Chairman Lee Dong-gwan last year.

Earlier, opposition parties including the Innovation Party for Justice, the Democratic Party of Korea, and the Progressive Party jointly proposed an impeachment motion against Chairman Kim on the 27th of last month. A total of 187 members participated in the motion. The grounds for impeachment mainly include △ the two-person system of the KCC △ approval of the largest shareholder change at YTN △ negligence in managing the Korea Communications Standards Commission △ refusal to attend the National Assembly and provide requested materials △ negligence in managing TBS, among others.

In particular, the opposition argues that it is inappropriate for the current two-person system of the KCC to proceed with the appointment procedures for the boards of public broadcasters such as the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation, the major shareholder of MBC. Nevertheless, on the 28th of last month, the KCC approved the plan to appoint directors of public broadcasters including the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation and began recruiting board members.

With Chairman Kim’s resignation, the KCC will temporarily operate under a single vice chairman system, with Vice Chairman Lee acting as the interim head.

The successor to the KCC chairman is expected to be appointed immediately. Former Daejeon MBC President Lee Jin-sook is strongly mentioned as the next KCC chairman. Lee has already been considered as the ruling party’s recommended candidate for KCC commissioner.