On the 19th, members of the ROTC Comrades Association, First Korea Youth Alliance, and the Liberal Citizens' Solidarity for Stopping the Three Broadcast Laws held a protest against the second police investigation of KCC Chairperson Lee Jin-sook at the Daejeon Yuseong Police Station, characterizing it as a "targeted investigation." Photo by Hanmi Ilbo

“Stop speaking.”

This remark, directed at Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairperson Lee Jin-sook by President Lee Jae-myung during a cabinet meeting on the 8th, was no mere argument. He further rebuked her, stating, “One must not distort and utilize the contents of a private meeting for personal politics.” This occurred just as the KCC Chairperson was attempting to explain her concerns regarding the Broadcast Act amendments (known as the "three broadcast laws") recently passed by the National Assembly.

Immediately thereafter, the police booked Chairperson Lee as a suspect on allegations of private misuse of a corporate card and summoned her for questioning twice. The pretext was the record of corporate card usage during her tenure as President of Daejeon MBC from 2015 to 2018. However, this is a case dating back nearly a decade, and the timing of the investigation coincides exactly with when the current KCC Chairperson’s "criticism of the administration" became a hot topic.

It is difficult to view this as a mere coincidence. It is a structure where President Lee’s public "silencing" and the pressure from investigative agencies intersect. Following her attendance at the cabinet meeting, Chairperson Lee had stated, “The restructuring of the public broadcasting governance system is a matter tied to the essence of democracy, and as KCC Chairperson, I have a duty to point out its problems.”

However, the Presidential Office downplayed the significance of the remarks, claiming it was "an opinion, not an instruction," and spokesperson Kang Yu-jung even stated, “If one is confused about the expression of an opinion, they are not qualified to attend a cabinet meeting.”

The Korea Communications Commission is an independent administrative agency under the Prime Minister. It does not receive vertical directives from the President and serves as a constitutional mechanism to protect the independence and neutrality of public broadcasting. Chairperson Lee was fulfilling her inherent role by raising issues with a specific political party’s push to railroad the broadcast laws. Is it consistent with democracy to label her remarks as "personal politics" while simultaneously digging up past issues to signal her to "keep her mouth shut"?

The Lee Jae-myung administration advocates for broadcast reform. It claims it will change the governance structure of public broadcasting and enhance fairness and autonomy. Yet, its method of implementation is moving in the exact opposite direction. If it checks critical perspectives, muzzles the voices of broadcast agency heads, and mobilizes investigative agencies, that is not reform—it is a takeover.

In fact, the President remarked, “The KCC should come up with a committee proposal,” which could be seen as a President with no authority to issue directives giving direction to an independent agency. However, the Presidential Office dismissed this, saying, “It was more of an inquiry for an opinion than an instruction.” A "double play" is underway, simultaneously utilizing "silencing tactics" and "disavowal."

On the 19th, KCC Chairperson Lee Jin-sook heads to Yuseong Police Station for questioning. Supporters follow behind her, chanting slogans in her support. Photo by Hanmi Ilbo

Police investigations are no exception. Chairperson Lee has already been summoned twice as a suspect. Regarding the allegations of private misuse of a corporate card, she strongly protested, stating, “This is a case from ten years ago, and I was already subject to an accounting audit at that time.” The timing of the investigation, the speed of her designation as a suspect, and the temporal proximity to the suppression of her remarks all leave a bitter aftertaste.

The political sphere is also boiling over. People Power Party Chief Spokesperson Choi Su-jin strongly criticized the administration, saying, “Labeling criticism as distortion and muzzling opposing opinions is the Lee Jae-myung style of governance.” Demands to release the cabinet meeting minutes are also mounting.

If broadcast reform is truly necessary, it must begin with an attitude of listening even to words that are uncomfortable for the administration. If the government uses investigations to silence speech, strips officials of their eligibility to speak in meetings, and strengthens an unchecked rule based on approval ratings, that reform will inevitably fail.

The government must now make a clear choice between "taming the press" and "institutional reform." That choice will serve as a critical litmus test to determine whether it seeks the expansion of power or the restoration of trust in democracy.

Summary of Key Issues

President's Remark: “Distorting private meetings... Stop speaking.”

KCC Chairperson's Position: “Public broadcasting reform is my duty.”

Police Investigation: Suspect investigation for corporate card misuse (7/5, 7/19)

Legal Structure: KCC is an independent administrative agency under the Prime Minister

Critical Issue: Concurrent timing of investigation and silencing of speech → Suspicion of power-based pressure

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