Koh Kwangheon, Inaugural Chairman of the Broadcast Media and Communications Review Committee: "Restoring Committee Operations and Public Trust Is the Top Priority"

"Ensuring Strict Independence Throughout the Review Process"

Koh Kwangheon, Chairman of the Broadcasting Media Communication Deliberation Committee (BMCDC), is delivering his inaugural address at the inauguration ceremony held at the Broadcasting Hall in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on April 16, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

On April 16, Koh Kwanghun, the inaugural Chairman of the Broadcasting Media Communications Deliberation Committee, stated, "Restoring the normal operations and rebuilding the trust of the Committee will be my top priorities. Based on the sense of social responsibility and mission of all executives and staff, we will strive to become an institution trusted by the public."

At the inauguration ceremony held at the Broadcasting Hall in Mokdong, Seoul on this day, Chairman Koh said, "Deliberations have been suspended for a long time, and public trust in the Committee's fairness and independence has greatly diminished. As Chairman, I deeply apologize to the staff who have been hurt by unfair treatment, disadvantages, and an oppressed organizational culture."

Chairman Koh pledged to first objectively review past issues, identify their causes and those responsible, and correct any distorted systems and procedures, thereby achieving normalization and restoring the trust of the Committee.

He further emphasized, "The deliberation process will be operated with strict independence, and the results will be made transparent. In accordance with the spirit of collective decision-making, we will ensure sufficient deliberation and discussion to reach rational conclusions, thereby upholding the principles and independence of deliberation." He also plans to swiftly stabilize the organization, implement personnel reforms by establishing a fair and transparent HR system, and focus on creating a communicative environment where members can freely express opinions and demonstrate their expertise.

In addition, he announced plans to improve deliberation standards and methods in response to the rapid transformation of the media landscape brought about by digital transformation and the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. By expanding electronic deliberations and utilizing AI technologies, the Committee aims to establish a prompt and efficient response system to detect, analyze, and block illegal content such as deepfake sexual exploitation materials, gambling, and drugs.

Chairman Koh stated, "If we uphold principles and work fairly with a sense of responsibility for our social duties, we can regain the trust that has been lost." He added, "Together with the Secretariat's executives and staff, I will work to find solutions and take on even greater responsibility as Chairman."

Chairman Koh is a former journalist who served as CEO of Hankyoreh Newspaper and Seoul Newspaper, and has also held roles such as Director of the Korea Newspapers Association, member of the Constitutional Court Advisory Committee, and Chairman of the Korea Human Rights Foundation. Nominated as a standing member by President Lee Jaemyung, he began his term on December 29 of last year, and was elected as candidate for Chairman at the Committee's plenary meeting on March 12. After passing the confirmation hearing at the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee on April 1, his appointment was approved by President Lee on April 14.

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