NPAD demands dismissal of FBC chief

Korea’s main opposition party on Wednesday demanded the resignation of the chief of an organization that oversees broadcaster MBC amid controversy over his ideologically driven remarks against party leader Rep. Moon Jae-in, former President Roh Moo-hyun and the progressives.

Taking aim at the chairman of Foundation for Broadcast Culture Ko Young-joo’s repeated description of Moon as a “communist,” the New Politics Alliance for Democracy lawmakers urged him to step down as he had lost the political neutrality required to oversee MBC, of which the FBC is the largest stakeholder.

Accusing Ko of being President Park Geun-hye’s personal choice for the post, the NPAD demanded Park should apologize for appointing what it called a “McCarthy-like” figure.

“Ko defamed the main opposition party and the National Assembly. It is beyond the people’s tolerance,” NPAD whip Rep. Lee Jong-gul said. “Ko’s extreme rightist position can’t be compatible with overseeing a major broadcasting company.”

“We don’t think Ko is alone. It appears that President Park selected him while being aware of his slanted views. Does the president agree with Ko’s view? Does the president believe that she can run the nation without his resignation?” Lee charged.

The accusation reflected escalating ideological tit-for-tat between rival parties in the run-up to the 2016 general elections. While the ruling Saenuri Party turned up the heat in its attempt to revise what they see as “left leaning” history text books, the NPAD hit back at Ko’s “extreme rightist” remarks.

In 2013, months after Moon was defeated by Park in the 2012 presidential election, Ko said that it would have been a matter of time before Korea became a communist country if Moon had been elected. The remarks were brought back to spotlight during the annual parliamentary audit last Friday.

“When looking at the recent developments, one cannot help but doubt the identity of President Park,” said Supreme Council member Rep. Joo Seung-yong during the party’s emergency meeting convened to discuss Ko.

“(Park) will be met with resistance from the people and the opposition unless she sacks him.”

Despite the strong pushback from NPAD lawmakers, Ko refused to withdraw his position during the audit, and rather, told lawmakers that he is “confident” that Moon is a communist, along with the late President Roh Moo-hyun, whom he described as a “transformed” communist.

The former prosecutor had confronted Roh, then a lawyer, in the 1980s during his investigation into allegations against student activists accused of attempting to overthrow the government, otherwise known as the “Burim Case.” The students were convicted but were retroactively declared innocent of the charges in 2014.

After finishing his career as a prosecutor, Ko claimed that he was subjected to political retribution during Roh’s presidency (2003-2008). He dismissed the court’s acquittal decision as being left-leaning, alleging that North Korea had attempted to infiltrate Pyongyang sympathizers into South Korea’s judicial system.

Before being appointed as the chief of FBC in August, he was chairman of the Committee for Restoration of National Normalcy, a conservative civic group, which published documents in 2008 that classified some NPAD lawmakers as North Korean sympathizers.

Despite the NPAD’s calls for him to resign, the head of Korea Communications Commission, who appointed Ko and other board directors, denied that it had the authority to sack him, and argued that Ko would perform his duty.

“We understand that Kim’s remark leans toward (a particular perspective), but we think Ko is capable of doing his job as a board member,” said KCC chairman Choi Sung-joon.

Other NPAD lawmakers such as Rep. Song ho-chang raised fresh allegations that Ko had violated the law that bans illegal solicitation of public officials. Song claimed that Ko took a case related to his job at government agencies while he was a public official. Ko strongly denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, the ruling Saenuri Party Leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung criticized Ko for making “problematic” remarks during the parliamentary audit. But he downplayed the possibility of his dismissal, saying that he had yet to consider the option.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)