Yoon, Han Sang-hyuk to be suspended as chairman of broadcasting…”Directly committed serious crimes”

President Yoon Seok-yeol has suspended the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Han Sang-hyuk, from office.

The President’s Office said this in a press notice on the same day, explaining the background, “Three people were arrested and prosecuted for violating their command and supervision responsibilities and duties as the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission.”

It added, “He was dismissed from his post because he was criminally prosecuted for committing a serious crime himself, making it impossible for him to perform his normal duties as the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission.”

This is the first case under Yoon’s administration where a ministerial-level official has been dismissed for being indicted by prosecutors, according to an official at the presidential office.

The government has been proceeding with the dismissal of Han, who was indicted by prosecutors in 2020 for his alleged involvement in토토사이트 altering the review scores for the reauthorization of TV Chosun, a general broadcasting channel, based on his violation of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Korea Communications Commission (KCTC) and the National Civil Service Act.

Citing the indictment and hearing materials against Han, the presidential office specifically listed the alleged violations.

“Chairman Han did not fulfill his duties as the person in charge of directing and supervising the bureau chiefs and judges who were indicted for falsifying scores in the TV station reauthorization review process,” it said.

“In addition, when Han received a report from a practitioner that there were no problems with the TV Chosun reauthorization review, he expressed that it was difficult to accept the results as they were, saying, ‘It’s going to be crazy, it’s going to be noisy, and I’m going to be criticized,’ thus violating his impartiality as the chairman.”

“After being informed that ‘he asked some of the judges of the TV Chosun reapproval examination to posthumously revise TV Chosun’s evaluation score, making some items pass,’ he deceived the members who were unaware of the manipulation at a plenary meeting of the NBTC to make a decision to ‘conditionally reapprove’ TV Chosun, thus interfering with the execution of his official duties,” the presidential office said, alleging a violation of Article 137 of the Criminal Code.

The President’s Office went on to say, “Commissioner Han directly ordered the inclusion of A, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who had always argued that TV Chosun’s reapproval should be canceled, in the TV Chosun reapproval review committee, and in the process, abused the authority of the chairman of the NTA by not going through the consultation process with other standing members of the NTA,” which is a violation of Article 123 of the Criminal Code.

He also abused his position as chairman by shortening the validity period of TV Chosun’s reauthorization from four years to three years (in violation of Article 123 of the Criminal Code), and ordered the creation of a false official document by writing and distributing a false press release stating that the NCC had no involvement in the evaluation of TV Chosun’s score (in violation of Article 227 of the Criminal Code).

Han, who was appointed by the previous Moon Jae-in administration, was initially scheduled to serve until the end of July.

Han met with reporters at Government Complex Gwacheon shortly before Yoon’s proposed dismissal was made public and said he would take legal action.

“I think it is inappropriate to confirm the guilt based on the facts of the prosecution and apply the general rules of the National Civil Service Act,” Han said, adding, “I will file a request to cancel the dismissal and even apply for a suspension of its effectiveness.”

The court battle is expected to continue after Han’s term expires at the end of July, as he has announced a legal response to the dismissal.

Meanwhile, former Cheong Wa Dae press secretary Lee Dong-kwan, who has served as a special adviser on foreign affairs since shortly after Yoon’s inauguration, is reportedly being considered for the next chairman.