[2024 National Audit] Opposition Claims KBS President Appointment 'Invalid'... Kim Taegyu "Cannot Accept"

Democratic Party Claims Illegality of KCC's Two-Person System
Criticism of KBS New President Appointment as 'Favoritism'

With Park Jang-beom, the anchor of News9, being appointed as the final candidate for the new KBS president, the two-person system of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has once again come under scrutiny.

Kim Taegyu Acting Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the 24th, Lee Hun-gi, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee audit, "Unqualified directors appointed under the KCC's two-person system selected anchor Park Jang-beom as the KBS president candidate."

He pointed out, "The person who tried to downplay Kim Geon-hee's luxury handbag incident as 'a small bag from a foreign company' is becoming the KBS president," adding, "There are talks that this is a political favor appointment."

Lee argued, "All broadcasting takeovers illegally carried out under the two-person system controlling the KCC are invalid and must be restored to their original state."

He referred to the court's cancellation of the fine imposed on MBC's 'PD Notebook' on the 17th, stating that there is procedural illegality in the KCC's two-person decision-making.

The opposition claims that the appointment of KBS directors by KCC Chairperson Lee Jin-sook and Vice Chair Kim Tae-gyu under the two-person system, who then appointed the KBS president, is also invalid.

When Lee asked Acting Chair Kim Tae-gyu if preparations were being made for restoration, Kim replied, "No preparations are being made at all, and we do not accept that ruling."

He added, "That ruling is merely a decision by the trial court in the first instance, and under the three-tier judicial system, the conclusion can change."

Park Min, the current KBS president who appeared at the audit that day, stated, "(The appointment of anchor Park as president) was a comprehensive judgment by the board members who decided it would be better to select a new president."