Yoon's 'Refusal to Appoint Choi Min-hee as Broadcasting Commissioner' Sparks Clash Between Ruling and Opposition... "Legal Violation" vs "Biased Appointment"

Ruling Party's "Recommendation to Refuse Appointment to the President"

As President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to reject the appointment of former Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Min-hee as a standing member of the Korea Communications Commission, the ruling and opposition parties clashed sharply on the 10th. The People Power Party plans to recommend that President Yoon exercise his veto power over Choi's appointment, while the Democratic Party protested that President Yoon is infringing on the National Assembly's right to recommend.

Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said in his remarks at the party's general assembly that day, "The rule of law means governance by law, but President Yoon seems to think that governance by legal technicians who interpret the law arbitrarily is the rule of law," and pointed out, "Isn't he trying to neutralize the National Assembly's right to recommend guaranteed by law once again and even take control of broadcasting?"

He continued, "The president should not hollow out the rule of law, which he claims whenever he opens his mouth," and urged, "We call on the president to immediately appoint the Communications Commission member lawfully recommended by the National Assembly, even at this moment."

Jin Sung-jun, senior deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party, said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that morning, "(The rejection of former lawmaker Choi's appointment) is a serious dereliction of duty by the president and a violation of the law." He argued, "According to the Korea Communications Commission Establishment Act, when a vacancy occurs among the standing members, a replacement must be appointed without delay from the day the vacancy arises," and added, "The president's refusal to appoint (former lawmaker Choi) is a clear violation of the Korea Communications Commission Act."

Park Chan-dae, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, also criticized at the Supreme Council meeting that morning, "The attitude of the People Power Party and the presidential office toward the appointment of Choi Min-hee as the chairperson of the Communications Commission is like a whining four-year-old child," and said, "The People Power Party is obstructing the appointment of a properly recommended candidate, and the president is dragging out the appointment without reason. We hope they give up their futile dream of controlling broadcasting."

In response, the People Power Party pointed out former lawmaker Choi's bias and insisted that the quota should be for recommending ruling party figures. Park Dae-chul, policy chief of the People Power Party, said at the party's Supreme Council meeting that day, "There are more than enough reasons why former lawmaker Choi cannot be recommended as a standing member of the Communications Commission," and stated, "If the Democratic Party does not withdraw the recommendation, we will recommend to the president not to appoint her."

He added, "There is such extreme political bias in former lawmaker Choi that it is difficult to guarantee fairness and objectivity," and pointed out, "The Democratic Party's recommendation of former lawmaker Choi itself is illegal. When the regime changes, the newly formed Communications Commission should naturally consist of three ruling party members and two opposition members, but if former lawmaker Choi is recommended, it will be three opposition members and one ruling party member."

The Communications Commission is currently operating with a 'three-member system' after the terms of Vice Chairman Ahn Hyung-hwan expired on the 30th of last month and Standing Member Kim Chang-yong on the 5th of this month. Among them, Chairman Han Sang-hyuk and Standing Member Kim Hyun are opposition figures.

People Power Party Supreme Council member Tae Young-ho also urged, "The Democratic Party is now engaging in reckless political strife without fact-checking and recommended former lawmaker Choi, who was legally judged for creating fake news," and called on, "The Democratic Party should immediately withdraw the recommendation of former lawmaker Choi." People Power Party lawmaker Hong Seok-jun criticized on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that day, "(Former lawmaker Choi) described Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung as a 'successful Jeon Tae-il,' while politically biased remarks were made about President Yoon, such as 'there are sexual harassment allegations' and 'he hinted at shamanism.'"

Lawmaker Hong emphasized, "A person with such incomprehensible bias is not suitable as a Communications Commission member," and stressed, "The important point is that former lawmaker Choi was recommended for Chairman Ahn's position. The recommendation was wrong from the start. The Democratic Party must correct the flaw of violating the statutes."

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