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Lee Jin-sook, the newly appointed head of the Korea Communications Commission, speaks at her inauguration ceremony, held at the government complex in Gwacheon, on July 31, 2024. (pool photo)

A court’s decision on Monday to suspend the validity of the Korea Communications Commission’s (KCC) appointment of board members for the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, a major shareholder of broadcaster MBC, made under its “two-person system” of decision-making has drawn contrasting reactions from the ruling and opposition parties.
 
The ruling party has expressed regret, claiming that the ruling violates the principle of the separation of state powers, while the opposition welcomed the decision, lauding it as one that pumped the brakes on the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s attempts to “manipulate public broadcasting.”
 
The People Power Party’s special committee on media released a statement after the court’s ruling, stating, “The judiciary’s decision to suspend the personnel appointments carried out in accordance with the procedures and regulations of the KCC, an administrative agency, is an act that betrays the separation of state powers into legislative, executive and judicial branches.”
 
“We regret that the judiciary’s sudden decision has caused a significant setback in the implementation of the Yoon administration’s major government task of normalizing public broadcasting,” it said, adding, “The government will immediately appeal the injunction and actively participate in the main lawsuit to prove the legality and validity of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture board members’ appointments.”
 
The presidential office remained reticent, only stating that it would “continue to monitor” the situation. A senior presidential office official told reporters later that day, “The presidential office always respects the decisions of the courts,” only to add, “Another judgment will await us in the appeal.”
 
The opposition reacted favorably to the decision, saying that it “the arc of history bends toward justice.” In a briefing that day, Democratic Party senior spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae stated, “The court’s ruling reaffirms the illegality of a KCC operation system that only includes two members appointed by the ruling party and its slipshod, rushed appointment of board members.”
 
“The court has pulled the brakes on the Yoon administration’s attempts to evade the law and reaffirmed the value of public broadcasting,” he went on.
 
“We welcome the court’s decision to stall the Yoon administration’s runaway-train-like attempts to take over the media,” wrote Kim Bo-hyeop, a senior spokesperson for the Rebuilding Korea Party, in a commentary, while also urging the Yoon administration to “delve deep to identify the core of the problem.”
 
The Seoul Administrative Court approved the request for an injunction made by Foundation for Broadcast Culture Chairperson Kwon Tae-sun and board members Kim Ki-joong and Park Sun-ah against the KCC, asking that the appointment of new board members be put on ice.
 
In just 10 hours after the nominations of Lee Jin-sook and Kim Tae-kyu as KCC chief and deputy chief on July 31, the commission appointed six new board members, including Sogang University professor Kim Dong-yule and Son Jeong-mi, member of TV Chosun’s viewer committee. However, Monday’s ruling suspends their terms until a verdict is reached in the main lawsuit calling for the revocation of their appointments.

By Ko Han-sol, staff reporter; Lee Seung-jun, staff reporter; Son Hyun-soo, staff reporter

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