The Resurgence of 'MB Men'... From Lee Dong-kwan to Yoo In-chon

Lee Dong-gwan Considered for KCC Chair, Kim Young-ho Nominated for Ministry of Unification
Opposition: "Is This MB Cartel Following the Prosecution Cartel?"

Figures from the Lee Myung-bak administration are gaining attention in the Yoon Suk-yeol government.

On the 6th, President Yoon Suk-yeol created a new minister-level position, Special Advisor for Culture, and appointed former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon. Following Lee Dong-gwan, the inaugural spokesperson of the MB government who is now a strong candidate for chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Yoo In-chon is another figure from the MB faction.

Yoo In-chon, a former actor, was appointed Minister of Culture with the launch of the Lee Myung-bak government in 2008 and served for about three years until January 2011.

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has shown a tendency to favor figures from the Lee Myung-bak regime. Lee Dong-gwan, recently nominated as chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, also served as the Blue House spokesperson during the Lee Myung-bak government. Kim Young-ho, nominated as Minister of Unification, also served as a unification secretary at the Blue House under Lee Myung-bak.

Yoo In-chon, Special Advisor for Culture and Sports.
Photo by Yonhap News

The Democratic Party of Korea has recently expressed dissatisfaction with these appointments. On the 6th, Democratic Party lawmaker Oh Young-hwan appeared on BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' and said, "I have been watching the early appointments of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, and one of the most criticized aspects was the excessive cartel of prosecutors from the special prosecution division." He added, "Now there are even talks about the MB cartel, with Lee Dong-gwan's nomination as chairman of the Korea Communications Commission and Yoo In-chon's appointment as minister."

Oh said, "The president keeps defining enemies in our society and seems to suggest that crushing these enemies is the ultimate goal of governance," emphasizing, "In a situation where people are struggling with their livelihoods, the leader, the president, should show efforts to solve the problems of people's lives, propose alternatives and solutions, and provide trust, confidence, and hope to the people."

Bok Ki-wang, chairman of the Democratic Party's Chungnam Provincial Party and former Blue House political secretary under the Moon Jae-in administration, also evaluated, "There is talk that the Yoon Suk-yeol government is like a second MB government, and I think that is accurate." On the same day, on Yonhap News TV's 'News Focus,' Bok criticized, "Special Advisor Yoo In-chon was often criticized for being too one-sided during his tenure as Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and there were many concerns about favoritism in the cultural and artistic circles." He added, "There are even remarks that Yoo In-chon was the originator of the cultural blacklist."

Former President Lee Myung-bak is moving to watch the play "Faust," starring former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoon In-chon, at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of April 26.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, the ruling party defended the appointments of the Yoon Suk-yeol government. On the 6th, Kim Byung-wook, a member of the People Power Party, said on BBS Radio, "Special Advisor Yoo is a very unique figure in our popular culture sector," adding, "He has experience, field knowledge, and administrative expertise, so it makes sense for the president to appoint him as a special advisor. What could be wrong with that?"

Regarding the opposition's criticism of the 'MB cartel,' Kim responded, "This is the first time I have heard the term 'MB cartel,' but the Moon Jae-in government also employed people who were active during the Roh Moo-hyun administration," adding, "If so, then our conservative government would inevitably use some personnel from previous conservative administrations."

Kim said, "Unfortunately, personnel from the Park Geun-hye administration were all sidelined during the Moon Jae-in government's anti-corruption investigations, so even if we want to work with them now, there are no intact figures left," adding, "As a result, it seems we are moving back to the previous government."

Former Blue House spokesperson Jung Yeon-guk said in an interview with Yonhap News TV on the same day, "He is someone who knows the cultural scene best and also understands administration, so I believe he can provide significant advice as a cultural special advisor," forecasting, "Because he has extensive experience, he will have a positive impact."

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