Jin-sook Lee: "Doing Our Best to Appoint Visiting Directors to Correct MBC Bias"

25th National Assembly Hearing for Candidate Lee Jin-suk, Chair of the Korea Communications Commission
Candidate Lee: "Appointment of MBC Board Members According to Legal Provisions"
Vice Chair Lee Sang-in's Impeachment News Described as "Shocking"

Candidate for Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, Lee Jin-sook, stated, "I will do my best to ensure that directors of the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation (MBC Foundation), who can correct MBC's bias, are appointed."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At Lee's confirmation hearing held on the 25th at the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, she said, "There is no direct way to intervene in MBC's news direction," adding, "Since the appointment of MBC's management is up to the MBC Foundation, I will appoint directors in a fair manner according to legal regulations."

When Park Jung-hoon, a member of the People Power Party, asked, "As long as the appointment consent system exists, news directors approved by the journalists' union inevitably come in. Is there any way to overcome this?" Lee replied, "I will study various measures."

Regarding the opposition party's push to propose impeachment of Lee Sang-in, the Vice Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, she said, "I understand that the position itself is not subject to prosecution, but I was shocked to hear about this."

When Park asked, "Do you agree that the opposition party is deliberately creating a two-person system by not recommending candidates for the Communications Commission?" she responded, "Yes," emphasizing, "After the Vice Chairperson is impeached and I am appointed, it will be a one-person Communications Commission system, and I do not know what practical benefit that would have for South Korea."

On the same day, in response to Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, pointing out that "censorship does not apply to Telegram operators but is mandatory for domestic messenger operators, which undermines consumer trust," Lee said, "I am willing to actively correct this."

Regarding the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's national agenda of "inter-Korean media exchange" and opening North Korean broadcaster Chosun Central TV to South Korean TV channels, she said, "I will consider it."

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