Lee Jinsook, Chairperson, Made Remarks Such as "We Need Warriors to Fight Against Fake Leftists" During Past YouTube Appearances
Board of Audit and Inspection Notifies Korea Communications Standards Commission to Improve Procedures for Appointing Election Broadcasting Review Committee Members
The Board of Audit and Inspection issued a "caution" to Lee Jinsook, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, warning her not to violate the duty of political neutrality. This measure was in response to remarks she made during past appearances on YouTube. After the National Assembly passed her impeachment bill in August last year, Lee appeared on several YouTube channels and made statements such as, "Leftist groups are capable of anything we can imagine," and "We need warriors to fight against fake leftists."
In the decision released on this day, the Board of Audit and Inspection stated, "As the head of an institution, strict political neutrality and maintenance of dignity are required," and emphasized, "There must be no violations of the political neutrality obligation of public officials or any actions that undermine public trust in the civil service, such as appearing on influential YouTube broadcasts to support or oppose specific leaders or political groups."
In particular, the Board pointed out that Lee made remarks displaying political bias by mentioning or opposing specific political parties. Article 65 of the State Public Officials Act prohibits public officials from supporting or opposing specific political parties or groups. The Board of Audit and Inspection stated, "Such actions may undermine public trust in the Korea Communications Commission," and added, "This constitutes a case with a high likelihood of compromising overall political neutrality."
Furthermore, regarding Lee's claim that her remarks were only made in self-defense, the Board said, "The public interest in maintaining the political neutrality of public officials and the trust of the entire public outweighs any private interest in protecting personal honor or resolving grievances that might be achieved through YouTube appearances and remarks," and concluded, "It is difficult to consider appearing on YouTube and making such remarks as an appropriate method."
However, despite these findings, the Board of Audit and Inspection decided not to file a complaint against Lee. The Board explained, "Although this is a serious matter, there is no evidence that she used her official authority, mobilized agency resources, or directly affected the operations of the Korea Communications Commission," and thus reached this decision.
Additionally, the Board of Audit and Inspection found that there is a need to improve the appointment procedures for members of the Election Broadcasting Review Committee at the Korea Communications Standards Commission. Although it was not illegal for former Chairperson Ryu Heelim to appoint individuals who were either his academic advisors or politically biased as committee members, the Board concluded that, in the future, fairness should be enhanced by having multiple recommending organizations nominate several candidates and making decisions at a plenary meeting rather than at the standing committee.
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