Choi defends decision on cable TV licenses

Choi See-joong, head of the Korea Communications Commission, said at a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly Thursday that he would resign if there was any influence-peddling over the government's granting of cable TV licenses to four newspapers last year. / Yonhap

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By Na Jeong-ju

The country's top communications policymaker said Thursday he will resign if his agency's decision last December to grant cable TV licenses to four conservative newspapers is "proved unfair", dismissing allegations of his influence-peddling in the selection procedure.

Speaking at a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on his bid to secure another three-year term as head of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), Choi See-joong said he was an honest person.

"There have been groundless accusations from some people about the decision regarding cable TV channels. The fact is the decision was made in a fair and transparent manner", said the 74-year-old former journalist.

Lawmakers from ruling and opposition parties were deeply divided on whether to renew his term due to end this month. Choi had received the nod from President Lee Myung-bak to work as the KCC chairman until 2014.

The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) asserted that the KCC needs him to complete the task of reforming the media and telecommunications industries, while opposition parties raised questions about ethical qualifications and his close ties to Lee.

On Dec. 31, the KCC's 14-member evaluation panel, led by Lee Byeong-gi, an electric engineering professor from Seoul National University, selected four media consortiums led by leading daily newspapers ― Chosun Ilbo, Dong-A Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Maeil Business Newspaper ― as winners of licenses for general programming cable TV channels.

Yonhap News Agency was also granted a license to launch an all-news cable channel.

Six consortiums vied for the general programming licenses, while four different consortiums contended for the news channel license.

The announcement triggered a huge backlash from liberals and still remains controversial as opposition parties have vowed to nullify the KCC's decision.

At the confirmation hearing, opposition lawmakers alleged Choi's influence peddling to select the Dong-A Ilbo, from which he retired in 1994 as vice managing editor. He denied such allegations.

Another issue of hot debate was whether he undermined the KCC's political neutrality since taking office in 2008. Choi, known as a "mentor" for President Lee, was a key member of Lee's presidential campaign team.

Choi's hometown is Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, where Lee spent most of his childhood. It is known that both have maintained a close relationship since they first met in the mid-1970s through Lee's elder brother Lee Sang-deuk, a former National Assembly speaker and now a GNP legislator.

At the confirmation hearing, opposition lawmakers argued Choi's media policy threatens the country's press freedom, but Choi refuted this.

Rival parties also traded barbs over the properties he owns.

Some lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party raised allegations of real estate speculation, saying Choi currently owns land and buildings in Gyeonggi Province, South Chungcheong Province as well as North Gyeongsang Province. Such allegations were proven baseless at the previous hearing in 2008, Choi said.