Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Broadcast Regulator Nominee's Expertise, Bias

Ruling and opposition parties clashed over the political orientation and qualifications of Kim Jong-cheol, the nominee for the inaugural chairman of the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission (BMCC), during his confirmation hearing Wednesday.

The Democratic Party of Korea emphasized Kim's expertise in constitutional and media law, praising him as the right person to lead the new regulatory body. The People Power Party countered that Kim is unqualified, citing concerns about his political bias and lack of expertise in technology.

The National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee held the confirmation hearing for Kim at the National Assembly on Wednesday. Rep. Han Min-soo of the Democratic Party described Kim as "a constitutional scholar and media law expert who deeply understands freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution and its limits."

Some lawmakers pointed to the previous administration's operation of the Korea Communications Commission with only two members to justify the establishment of the BMCC. Rep. Cho In-cheol of the Democratic Party criticized that "the KCC under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration undermined the basic principles of a consensus-based agency, causing numerous lawsuits."

Rep. Han also urged Kim to "resolve the generational task of restoring public interest in broadcasting media and strengthening citizens' media sovereignty," saying "the ruthless Yoon Suk-yeol regime turned broadcasting into a mouthpiece of power rather than public broadcasting for the people."

The People Power Party, meanwhile, pointed to Kim's ideological bias controversy and problems in the BMCC's establishment process. Rep. Lee Sang-hwi said "there are talks that the nominee is a 'poli-fessor,'" adding "it's fine to express philosophy and convictions, but if you go to a position speaking biased opinions after losing objectivity due to political groups, that's a poli-fessor." This targeted Kim's progressive positions on issues such as the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and abolition of the National Security Act.

Rep. Park Chung-kwon of the People Power Party mentioned that a constitutional complaint has been filed against the BMCC establishment law, saying "if it is ruled unconstitutional, even if Kim is appointed, not only his chairmanship but the very existence of the BMCC will lose legitimacy." Rep. Shin Sung-bum raised capability concerns, saying "questions have constantly been raised about whether he has expertise not only in legal matters but also in artificial intelligence and ICT-related fields."

Separately, the committee approved Kim Myung-kyu, CEO of Coupang Eats Service, as an additional witness for the hearing on Coupang's personal data breach. The committee also decided to summon three additional persons for reference: Jeon Kyung-soo, Coupang's head of service policy; Noh Jae-kuk, head of logistics policy; and Lee Young-mok, executive vice president of communications. The Coupang data breach hearing is scheduled for Thursday.