Jinsook Lee Proposes to President Lee: "Terms of President and KCC Chair Should Be Aligned"

Jinsook Lee, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Jinsook Lee, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, recommended at a Cabinet meeting that the system should be improved so that the terms of the President and the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission are aligned.

It is known that Chairperson Lee proposed this measure to President Jaemyung Lee during two previous Cabinet meetings, including the one held on June 19.

President Lee, referring to the recurring conflicts related to the Korea Communications Commission and public broadcasters during each change of administration, instructed Chairperson Lee to prepare a broadcasting reform plan. In response, Chairperson Lee reportedly expressed the view that synchronizing the terms should be the first step.

President Lee is said to have reacted negatively to Chairperson Lee's suggestion regarding the term, indicating that it would not be sufficient on its own.

Chairperson Lee reportedly prepared materials outlining the discussions on the broadcasting reform plan so far, and attention is focused on whether this issue will be a key topic at the National Policy Planning Committee's briefing scheduled for June 26.

The prepared materials are said to include a range of proposals, from the current method in which the Korea Communications Commission recommends or appoints board members of public broadcasters, to the introduction of an "absolute majority system," which would require more than two-thirds of the board to agree in order to appoint the president of a public broadcaster.

However, since Chairperson Lee will not attend the National Policy Planning Committee's briefing and the Secretary General will attend on her behalf, it is difficult to predict how strongly the broadcasting reform plan will be conveyed and how the committee will respond.

The Korea Communications Commission gave a briefing at the Government Complex Gwacheon on June 20, but the National Policy Planning Committee pointed out that the content was insufficient, resulting in a follow-up briefing scheduled for June 26.