May Organization: "Cha Ki-hwan Should Not Be Supported as a Director Candidate for the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation"

5·18·Sewol Ferry Distortion Figures... "Media Will Turn into a Weapon Threatening Democracy and Human Rights"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The May Organizations criticized lawyer Cha Ki-hwan's application for the position of director at the Korea Communications Commission.

The May Organizations (5·18 Memorial Foundation, Bereaved Families Association, Injured Persons Association, Detained Injured Persons Association) issued a statement on the 27th, asserting that "the media must not once again become a weapon threatening democracy and human rights."

They stated, "Lawyer Cha Ki-hwan served two consecutive terms as a director of the Korea Communications Commission in 2009 and 2012, involving himself in MBC's management, programming, reporting, and production for six years, shaking the independence of public broadcasting. He also actively supported the management's unfair personnel decisions by dismissing many members who demanded freedom of the press."

They continued, "Regarding the May 18 Democratic Uprising, Cha ignored the Ministry of National Defense's past investigation results and related testimonies, spreading fake news through his SNS and forums that Mr. Jo Sa-cheon, who died from mass shooting by martial law troops in May 1980, was a victim of citizen soldiers. He also made outrageous remarks such as 'Through movies like May 18, South Korea is perceived as a country that brutally kills its people.'"

Furthermore, "Cha has repeatedly claimed falsely that martial law troops never aimed and shot at citizens and that protesters threatened police and military personnel. This clearly shows he is not a suitable figure for uncovering the truth of May 18 or for the integration of our society," they emphasized.

The May Organizations also mentioned that in 2014, when Cha was appointed as an investigator for the Sewol Ferry Special Investigation Committee recommended by the Saenuri Party, he continuously posted tweets criticizing the Sewol victims' families and obstructed the committee's activities, leading to accusations filed by the families.

They explained that regarding the incident where the late farmer Baek Nam-gi collapsed after being hit by a police water cannon, Cha echoed the 'red raincoat impact theory' circulated mainly in far-right online communities.

The May Organizations stated, "Having an irrational and unreasonable figure serve as a director of the Korea Communications Commission, where understanding of public broadcasting, a correct historical perspective, and media expertise are required, means giving up on the media being a fair platform defending democracy and human rights in our society. Rather, it creates conditions that could turn the media into the worst weapon denying common sense."

They added, "We expect the Korea Communications Commission to make a rational and proper judgment."

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