Kim Baek Resigns as YTN President Amid Union Conflict... Acting Management System for Now

Eugene ENT: "We Recognize the Current Situation as Extremely Serious"

Kim Baek, President of YTN, announced his intention to resign on July 28, citing personal reasons. Since taking office, he has been in conflict with the YTN branch of the National Union of Mediaworkers. Eugene ENT, the largest shareholder of YTN, stated that it will establish an acting management system and support the appointment of a new president through a legitimate process.

President Kim, who took office in April last year, had a three-year term scheduled to run until March 2027, but he stepped down before completing even half of it. He was first nominated as CEO at a regular shareholders' meeting and board of directors after Eugene Group, through its affiliate Eugene ENT, became the largest shareholder of YTN.

During the 20th presidential election held in 2022, Kim stated that "YTN reported dozens of stories based solely on one-sided claims regarding Kim Keonhee, the wife of candidate Yoon Sukyeol, which were too embarrassing to even mention," and upon taking office, he issued a public apology, criticizing YTN's past reporting as biased and unfair. In response, the YTN branch stated, "Today, when the YTN president sought forgiveness from those in power, marks the most humiliating day in YTN's 30-year history."

The YTN branch also went on strike in May, demanding both President Kim's resignation and for Eugene Group to withdraw from YTN.

Kim Baek YTN President

Eugene ENT stated, "The vacancy in YTN's CEO position is not simply a personnel issue, but a critical matter directly linked to the organization's continuity and social trust," adding, "We recognize the current situation as extremely serious." The company continued, "We will ensure that the organization remains stable and daily operations continue without disruption under the soon-to-be-established acting management system," and added, "We will support the careful selection of a new president through a reasonable and legitimate process, targeting both internal and external media experts."