Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee Audit Disrupted over Lee Jin-sook’s Recusal: Ruling Party Says “No Self-Audit,” Opposition Says “Lawmakers’ Authority Violated”

[Financial News] The National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee’s audit of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) on the 16th ultimately broke down after a fierce clash between the ruling and opposition parties over whether People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-sook and Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho should be barred from participating in the audit (recused). The audit began at around 2:35 p.m. and was repeatedly recessed amid shouting by lawmakers from both sides. It was suspended at around 6:13 p.m. and did not resume before midnight, ending in automatic adjournment.

A tense standoff continued from the outset over the motion to recuse lawmaker Lee Jin-sook, approved by the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on the 12th. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea argued that Lee had appointed KBS board members and others under a two-member system while serving as chair of the Korea Communications Commission, and that her personally assessing administrative decisions in which she was involved was an obvious conflict of interest and a “self-audit,” making her exclusion justified.
The People Power Party, by contrast, protested that the motion to recuse, adopted by the committee, had no effect until it was passed by the National Assembly’s plenary session. Choi Hyung-du, a People Power Party lawmaker and the opposition party’s committee secretary, said, “Preventing questioning until the Constitutional Court of Korea rules on the injunction would be an irreversible infringement of authority.”
Lee Jin-sook herself also mounted a forceful defense. “People call it an illegal two-member system, but it was the Democratic Party-led National Assembly that created it by ignoring the request to nominate three members of the Korea Communications Commission,” she said. “Of the 77 decisions made by the two-member body at the time, most are not being challenged, while only a particular issue is being singled out.” However, committee chair Song Ki-heon of the Democratic Party of Korea did not give Lee an opportunity to speak, saying, “Under the National Assembly Act, committee resolutions must be respected unless there is a specific provision suspending their effect.”

The People Power Party raised allegations that the office of Han Jun-ho, the ruling party’s committee secretary, had called people involved in KBS coverage immediately after the broadcaster reported on former Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, exerting outside pressure. It countered that Han should also be recused from the audit. The party strongly protested that Han, the subject of the allegations, was questioning the president of the KBS Journalists Association, who had testified to allegations unfavorable to him—a clear conflict of interest and abuse of power.
Han’s side strongly rejected the claims as baseless. In a statement, Han’s office said, “KBS Journalists Association President Choi Gwang-ho also testified at the audit that he ‘found it difficult to agree with the claim of outside pressure.’” It added, “We will actively cooperate with the police investigation to establish the facts and, once the investigation results are released, take legal action against People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jang-gyeom for spreading false information.”

Amid the extreme standoff between the ruling and opposition parties, the absence of KBS President Park Jang-beom, whose organization was being audited, also came under scrutiny. Park submitted a letter explaining his absence, citing his schedule as chair of the World Public Broadcasters Seoul General Assembly. Ruling-party lawmakers called for him to appear in the evening and provide accountable answers on pending issues, including asset losses in the 80-billion-won range. But as the audit was derailed, the president never appeared. The KBS audit that could not be conducted that day will be carried over to the comprehensive audit of institutions under the Broadcast Media and Communications Commission, scheduled for the 22nd.
[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter