Rumors of Kim Hong-il's Appointment as Lee Dong-gwan's Successor Draw Criticism from Opposition: "Another Former Prosecutor" "Normalize the Dysfunctional Broadcasting Committee First"

Criticism of Former Prosecutors and No Broadcasting Experience
Opposition: "Fill the 3 Broadcasting Committee Members for Parliament First"

As rumors surfaced about Kim Hong-il, a former prosecutor and current Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, being nominated as the successor to former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman Lee Dong-gwan who voluntarily resigned, the opposition party is on high alert. This is because the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is repeating its criticized pattern of appointing former prosecutors, and Kim is a figure completely unrelated to broadcasting and communications.

Originally, Kim was considered a candidate to succeed Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon. He is a former head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s Criminal Investigation Department and was a direct superior during President Yoon’s time as a prosecutor. Besides Kim, Lee Sang-in, Vice Chairman of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission, and Lee Jin-sook, former president of Daejeon MBC, have also been mentioned as potential candidates.

The Democratic Party criticized Kim’s appointment as Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman, citing his lack of experience in broadcasting and communications. Floor Leader Hong Ik-pyo said on the CBS Radio program 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 5th, "The Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman should be someone who leads the future of our country's media industry, and the media industry is currently undergoing rapid changes in the global international community," adding, "How well does this person understand how Korea’s media environment should adapt to global media changes, and with what career background can he explain that?"

Supreme Council Member Ko Min-jung said, "The Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman should have some experience in broadcasting and communications," and criticized, "The opposition party has continuously criticized the 'prosecutor republic,' but is the talent pool really this lacking?"

In an interview with SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' on the same day, Ko said, "There is no reason to defend former Chairman Lee, but he at least had experience in broadcasting and communications," adding, "Former Representative Lee Jun-seok, former Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in, and Representative Jang Je-won have all left. The president ultimately has no politicians he can trust and entrust, so he thinks, 'After all, the only ones I can trust are prosecutors,' and thus it has become a prosecutor-dominated system again."

Kim Hong-il, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

She emphasized that normalizing the Broadcasting and Communications Commission is a higher priority than nominating a new chairman. She demanded that the three standing commissioners appointed by the National Assembly be filled first.

The Broadcasting and Communications Commission is a five-member consensus body composed of two presidential appointees and three members recommended by the ruling and opposition parties. However, since former Chairman Lee’s inauguration last August, it has operated with only two members (former Chairman Lee and Vice Chairman Lee Sang-in).

Former Chairman Han Sang-hyuk was dismissed in May, and former lawmaker Choi Min-hee, recommended by the opposition, voluntarily resigned last month after her appointment was delayed for about seven months. Former Daejeon MBC president Lee Jin-sook, recommended by the ruling party, has yet to pass through the National Assembly. Currently, with former Chairman Lee’s voluntary resignation, only Vice Chairman Lee Sang-in remains, making it practically impossible to make major decisions.

Ko said, "The first reason for impeaching Chairman Lee was that the current Broadcasting and Communications Commission operates with only two members," adding, "No matter who comes, even if it is someone excellent, as long as the two-member system continues, if decisions on re-licensing, re-approval, or major shareholder issues are made within that framework, it will inevitably become grounds for impeachment again."

Representative Cho Eung-cheon also criticized, saying, "As commonly evaluated, it is hard to shake the belief that the president appoints people he knows to key positions," and added, "He often says that Kim is the most respected senior prosecutor, so from that perspective, it seems he nominated the most trustworthy and knowledgeable person."

On BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' that day, Cho said, "There are urgent issues such as terrestrial broadcasting re-licensing and YTN’s major shareholder change, and also the ruling party’s constant talk about responding to fake news during the general election, so the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman is a more contentious and powerful position than the Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission," adding, "It seems a protective mechanism was triggered to place someone the president knows in such a critical position."

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