"TBS Criticized for 'Emergency Support Request' Deceiving Seoul Metropolitan Council"

Im Hyeji, Spokesperson of Seoul Metropolitan Council, Criticizes TBS Officials at Press Conference

Kim Hye-ji, spokesperson for the People Power Party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council, issued a strong critical statement regarding TBS on the 8th.

Spokesperson Kim (Gangdong 1·People Power Party) said, "On August 7 at 4:05 PM, Hankyoreh posted online that 'Seoul Media Foundation TBS sent an urgent support request letter to the Seoul Metropolitan Council.' According to this report, TBS stated in the letter that they requested 2 billion KRW in support from the Seoul Metropolitan Council and asked for a sincere review."

However, the time the cooperation request letter from TBS was received by the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s document reception system was 6:24 PM on August 7, and no one in the Seoul Metropolitan Council had received the letter at the time Hankyoreh reported on the contents of the TBS letter.

Spokesperson Kim criticized that the request to "please review sincerely" was leaked in advance to a specific media outlet, and the letter was sent to the council only after the media report and after working hours had ended.

She questioned, "Is this really a normal business and media reporting procedure?"

Also, the acting representative of TBS held a press conference near the council on the 8th, but it was revealed that the claims made there were not communicated at all to the relevant standing committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

TBS has so far strongly insisted on their own position to the Seoul Metropolitan Council and only sought sympathy from public opinion, showing no effort toward the reforms requested by the council nor respect for the council, she criticized.

The former TBS representative repeatedly used abusive language toward council members in the standing committee, and the labor union used harsh language toward the council. Even official letters containing expressions such as "urgent," "special," and "sincere" were handled in this manner, she claimed.

She added that if TBS hopes for a "sincere review," they should first show at least minimal courtesy toward the council.

In addition, the ordinance for TBS support has already been abolished. Now, the decision on budget allocation is no longer made by the council.

Knowing this, the fact that they still came to the council to hold a press conference?does this mean they are aiming their guns at the council? If they had this much sincerity, why didn’t they show sincere reform efforts during the two-year grace period, she concluded.