Gov't mulls dismissal of broadcasting watchdog chief over alleged score rigging: sources
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- The government is considering the dismissal of the chief of the broadcasting regulator accused of score manipulation during the renewal of a broadcasting license for a cable TV network, sources said Thursday.
Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Han Sang-hyuk, who was appointed under the previous administration, is standing trial for his alleged involvement in deliberately giving low scores to TV Chosun, a right-leaning cable channel, during the review in 2020.
"There are grounds for the grave violation of the State Public Officials Act," a government official who asked not to be named told Yonhap News Agency.
Some sources suggest that President Yoon Suk Yeol may approve the dismissal of Han next week, though his term is set to terminate in late July.
Prosecutors suspect that Han, who was appointed by former liberal President Moon Jae-in, overlooked the manipulation. He is further accused of appointing a civic group official who has opposed TV Chosun as a member of the license review panel.
TV Chosun received 653.39 points in the review, just passing the 650-point threshold for the renewal of cable channel licenses, resulting in a conditional approval. The cable network got low scores in key categories, such as responsible and objective broadcasting.
Han Sang-hyuk, chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, answers reporters' questions before attending his arrest warrant hearing at the Seoul Northern District Court in the capital on March 29, 2023. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
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