Choi Min-hee "Will Recommend Democratic Party's Candidate for KCC Commissioner"... New Phase for KCC

Choi Min-hee, chairperson of the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on the 21st, "The Democratic Party leadership has decided to recommend the Broadcasting and Communications Commission (BCC) members allocated to the Democratic Party."

At the '3rd Hearing on Broadcasting Takeover' held that day, Chairperson Choi said, "The Democratic Party trusts the principle of good faith of the government and ruling party and will proceed with the appointment process of the Democratic Party's BCC members through a fair procedure via public recruitment."

Chairperson Choi explained, "When the Democratic Party asked whether the People Power Party, as the ruling party, would play its role by appointing the BCC members recommended by the Democratic Party to the President, Choi Hyung-doo, the People Power Party's secretary of the Science and Technology Committee, gave a very positive response as I recall. The official position and hope of the Democratic Party is that President Yoon Seok-yeol appoints the two BCC members recommended by the Democratic Party, and that the BCC members recommended by both ruling and opposition parties jointly re-nominate the public broadcasting directors."

The Democratic Party's shift toward recommending opposition party BCC members is interpreted as a judgment that if two standing members recommended by the opposition party and one by the ruling party are appointed, a 2-to-2 structure between ruling and opposition parties will be formed along with Acting Chairperson Kim Tae-gyu (presidential appointee), allowing for balanced discussion of agenda items. Chairperson Lee Jin-sook is currently suspended from duty due to impeachment proceedings, making this structure possible.

Earlier, Choi Hyung-doo, secretary of the Science and Technology Committee from the People Power Party, claimed, "If the BCC had been operating under a 'five-member system,' there would have been no problem with the current appointment of public broadcasting directors. The abnormal situation, including the impeachment motion against the BCC chairperson, arose because the People Power Party and the Democratic Party did not restore the five-member system despite being able to."

Chairperson Lee Jin-sook of the Korea Communications Commission Absent from Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee Current Issues Inquiry
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Ju-seong = On the morning of the 2nd, the seat of Lee Jin-sook, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, who submitted a letter of absence for the current issues inquiry held at the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, is empty. 2024.8.2
utzza@yna.co.kr
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Regarding the recommendation of the Democratic Party's BCC members, Secretary Choi stated, "To restore the BCC's five-member system, the impeachment trial of Chairperson Lee Jin-sook, which is currently before the Constitutional Court, must be concluded, and a simultaneous system for immediate restoration of the five-member system must be implemented." He emphasized that the conclusion of Chairperson Lee's impeachment trial must precede the appointment of the Democratic Party's BCC members.

Meanwhile, Hwang Jeong-ah, a Democratic Party lawmaker, requested the prosecution of Lee Jin-sook, the BCC chairperson who did not attend the hearing, and Kim Tae-gyu, the standing member (vice-chairperson) acting as chairperson. Lawmaker Hwang stated, "Witness Kim Tae-gyu refused to testify during the hearing without legal grounds. Moreover, he committed perjury by claiming there was a precedent for appointing director candidates as auditors. Public officials who continuously commit further illegal acts to cover up wrongdoing must be punished. I believe prosecution is necessary for the crime of non-attendance."

In response, the ruling party criticized the hearing as an illegal meeting where the opposition party abused its majority power. The ruling party pointed out, "The Democratic Party's unlawful and unreasonable hearing is paralyzing the BCC and is an interference in the judiciary aimed at influencing court decisions."

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