Lee Jin-sook, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, speaks on the passage of the 'Broadcasting Act 3' at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Future Planning, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on the 7th. Yonhap News

Lee Jin-sook, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, who had her summer vacation request denied due to the disaster situation, criticized on the 27th, stating, "It is such an important institution, yet we are unable to deliberate and resolve important agenda items with only one standing committee member."

In a post on Facebook this morning, Chairperson Lee expressed her discomfort with the Presidential Office's rejection of her vacation request five days prior, noting, "One person to be appointed by the President and three people recommended by the National Assembly have not yet been appointed."

Earlier, on the 18th, Chairperson Lee had submitted a vacation request to the Presidential Office for July 25-31, but it was rejected on the 22nd.

At the time, spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong stated in a notice, "Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik deemed the vacation request of the KCC Chairperson, who is the control tower for disaster broadcasting, inappropriate during the severe phase of disaster response, and thus rejected it." The reasoning was that the disaster situation, including the typhoon and flood crisis warning being at the 'severe' level on the 18th, the day of the vacation request, was taken into consideration.

In response, Chairperson Lee countered, "Requesting a vacation and actually taking one are entirely different matters," and argued, "Vacation requests for ministers are typically submitted a week before the intended leave, and if natural disasters or emergencies such as heavy rain occurred on the 23rd or 24th before the vacation was to begin, the vacation would naturally be canceled."

She further added, "Given the numerous cases filed against me with the police and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, I intended to spend my vacation at home even if it had been approved," and "I also informed my subordinates that I would come out immediately if any emergency occurred."

Recalling her experience covering the Iraq War in 2003 while leaving behind her four-year-old daughter, Chairperson Lee concluded her post by saying, "Only those who have risked their lives for a greater cause may cast stones at me."

Korea Economic Daily · Yonhap News