Anchor Park Jang-beom, Controversial for Saying "Dior Bag is a Pouch," Final Candidate for KBS New President

Appointed by the President after National Assembly Confirmation Hearing
Term Scheduled Until December 2027
"Criticism Over Downplaying Allegations of Mrs. Kim Receiving Luxury Bags"

Park Jang-beom, KBS anchor who conducted an interview with President Yoon Suk-yeol last February (right) [Image source=Yonhap News]

Park Jang-beom, currently the anchor of 'News 9,' has been appointed as the new president of KBS.

On the 23rd, the KBS board of directors held a meeting and conducted interviews with three candidates for the next president: anchor Park, current president Park Min, and Kim Sung-jin, head of broadcast news weekly. Park was selected as the final candidate.

After the board sends an official letter recommending the appointment of the president to the Ministry of Personnel Management, the appointment will be made by the president following a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly. The term of the newly appointed president will be from December 10, this year, to December 9, 2027.

Earlier, in February, candidate Park hosted a solo interview broadcast titled 'Visiting the Presidential Office' with President Yoon Suk-yeol.

During the broadcast, Park interviewed President Yoon and mentioned allegations regarding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's luxury handbag, referring to it as a 'pouch' and a 'small bag from a foreign company,' which drew criticism from opposition parties accusing him of deliberately downplaying the issue.

In the interview on the day of the selection, Park explained why he did not use the term 'luxury' during the broadcast, stating, "I think it is inappropriate to call imported luxury goods 'luxury'." He also said, "It was not a special choice of words because the interviewee was the president."

Born in 1970, Park graduated from Daejeon Daeseong High School and Yonsei University with a degree in economics. He joined KBS in 1994 as part of the 20th public recruitment class, and has served as a London correspondent, head of the social affairs department 2, and chief secretary. Since November last year, he has been the anchor of KBS 1TV's 'News 9.'