What Pengsoo Left Behind in the National Assembly Audit 'Indirect Summoning'

From Attendance Demands to Controversy
Public Discussion on Passion Pay, Subsidiary Copyright Appropriation, and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] This year's National Assembly inspection by the Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee was undoubtedly dominated by the popular EBS character 'Pengsoo'.

Whether Pengsoo would appear in person at the inspection by removing the mask became a hot topic, but as criticisms such as "It is inappropriate to call a character to the inspection" continued, the appearance was canceled. Although Pengsoo did not appear at the inspection, he was 'indirectly summoned' during the EBS inspection attended by President Kim Myung-joong. Issues such as the working environment of the character laborer Pengsoo and licensing problems with subsidiaries were brought to public attention during the EBS inspection.

"Will you call Teletubbies too?" Backlash against Pengsoo's appearance demand

Pengsoo was originally summoned to the inspection at the request of Hwang Bo-seung-hee, a member of the People Power Party. The stated reason was to "focus on fair treatment and profit distribution issues for character business workers," but there was significant criticism. Jo Seung-rae, the ruling party's secretary of the Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, pointed out, "Which country's parliament in the world calls a character as a witness or reference? It would be like Mickey Mouse appearing in the US Congress or Teletubbies appearing in the UK Parliament." In particular, there were concerns that Pengsoo would have to remove the 'mask' due to the nature of the inspection, which could collapse the character's worldview.

In response, Pengsoo's representative submitted a letter of non-attendance, stating, "There have been many opinions from content experts and viewers who fear that attending the National Assembly inspection might damage the worldview and the mystique of the character that make Pengsoo who he is," thus ending the controversy over Pengsoo's attendance.

Passion pay and licensing issues pointed out

Kim Myung-jung, president of EBS, appeared at the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee's audit of the Korea Broadcasting System on the 17th, drinking water as if feeling anxious. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Although Pengsoo did not attend the inspection, issues such as 'passion pay' for character workers and licensing problems with subsidiaries drew significant attention. In this regard, EBS President Kim Myung-joong faced intensive questioning.

Assembly member Hwang Bo-seung-hee asked whether Pengsoo was properly treated given the many schedules he handles, and President Kim Myung-joong replied, "At the peak of Pengsoo's popularity, we brought in the top entertainment industry lawyer to discuss treatment levels with EBS's lawyer." Kim also revealed that Pengsoo must rest two days a week and does not work more than six hours a day.

There were also allegations that EBS abused its power over its subsidiary EBS Media using the Pengsoo character as a pretext. Assembly member Han Jun-ho of the Democratic Party pointed out, "The headquarters took away the business of the EBS subsidiary," adding, "The problem is not the process but the abuse of power itself." In response, President Kim explained, "The EBS subsidiary has been around for about eight years but couldn't find a revenue model and was not helpful to the headquarters. We didn't just take Pengsoo but also took over other struggling character businesses. Also, EBS employees cooperated on the Pengsoo project and nurtured it, so saying EBS took away profits is an exaggeration."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.