hankyoreh

YTN’s former union leader

Former YTN union leader Hyeon Deok-su started a hunger strike two days ago to protest against the assignment of Gu Bon-hong as president of the 24-hour news channel. Gu was an aide to President Lee Myung-bak during his presidential campaign.

Hyeon is waging his campaign in front of YTN’s main office, and he sleeps in the lobby of the building at night. He began his hunger strike after his two-year term as union leader expired on July 7 out of a sense of guilt that he could not prevent Gu from being named as the YTN president, he said.

Gu was named to the post on May 29 and his assignment will be approved at a shareholders’ meeting to be held on July 14.

Hyeon said that Gu had met with YTN officials during the 2007 presidential election campaign and had aimed to change the tone of YTN’s broadcasts in favor of Lee, who was campaigning at the time.

Hyeon feels that “it would be better for Gu to be a politician.” He said, “A person with distinct political views is not the right person to head a media company.”

Gu’s presence will be poisonous to the neutrality of the news channel, Hyeon said, noting that neutrality is critical to the station’s status and identity.

Hyeon also took part in a four-day hunger strike led by executives of the National Union of Media Workers to protest against the National Assembly’s attempt to ratify the ROK-U.S. free trade agreement in February 2007.

This time, however, he is not sure when his hunger strike will end. Hyeon will decide his next move according to the outcome of the upcoming shareholders’ meeting.

“The meeting on July 14 is not the end of the strike,” Hyeon said, adding that the fight against Gu will probably intensify after the shareholders’ meeting if Gu is made YTN president. “Considering the fact that YTN staff members, regardless of rank, are issuing voluntary statements, we are sure to win the fight.”

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