Jin-sook Lee: "Controversy Over Public Broadcasting Bias... Will Create an Environment for Public Trust"

Public Hearing for the Candidate of the Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission on the 24th
"Weakening of Publicness in Overall Media... Growing Concerns"
"Two KCC Chairmen Retired... Heavy Sense of Responsibility"

Candidate for Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, Lee Jin-sook, expressed her aspiration on the 24th, stating, "I will create an environment where the media can be trusted by the public."

Candidate for Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, Lee Jin-sook Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

During her opening remarks at the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, Lee said, "I will establish a system that allows objective and fair broadcasting programs to be produced so that the media can fulfill its inherent responsibility and role as a social public air."

She assessed the situation by saying, "There is growing concern that the public nature of the media as a whole is weakening," and "Public broadcasters are at the center of bias controversies and are criticized for failing to fulfill their social responsibilities."

She added, "Public broadcasters will redefine their roles to live up to their names and restore their public nature."

Lee stated, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility as I have been nominated as the chairperson candidate amid an unprecedented situation where two former chairpersons of the Korea Communications Commission have stepped down consecutively during a time of many difficult issues surrounding broadcasting and communications."

She introduced herself by saying, "I started as a broadcast journalist and served as the head of a broadcasting company, dedicating over 30 years to the broadcasting field," and added, "My passion, knowledge, and experience in broadcasting will be valuable foundations for taking on the important role of Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission."

Regarding broadcasting and communications policy, Lee emphasized ▲ the co-growth of new and old media such as Over-The-Top (OTT) services and broadcasting ▲ fostering the Korean Wave boom through K-content ▲ user protection for digital services including artificial intelligence (AI) ▲ and responding to unfair practices such as illegal spam.