The People Power Party unveiled its candidate list for several local by-elections and awarded sole nominations to two controversial figures: former Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chair Lee Jin‑suk and former Vice Chair Kim Tae‑gyu, both of whom spearheaded a disputed two-member decision-making process at the regulator.
On the 1st the party named Lee as its candidate in Daegu’s Dalseong County and Kim in Ulsan Nam‑gap. It also nominated Park Jong‑jin for Incheon Yeonsu‑gap and former Rep. Lee Yong for Gyeonggi Hanam‑gap. Lee and Kim served as chair and vice chair of the KCC under President Yoon Suk‑yeol and led the contested two-person voting arrangement at the commission.
On their first day in office the pair appointed directors to the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation—the largest shareholder in broadcasters KBS and MBC—effectively putting the two-member decision mechanism into full effect. Courts later found many of those decisions unlawful, including foundation board appointments, the selection of a KBS auditor and the appointment of the EBS president.
Lee is a former MBC journalist who worked as a wartime correspondent during the Gulf War. She was MBC’s news director during the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, a period when victims’ groups singled out MBC reporters for their coverage. During MBC’s 170‑day strike in 2012 she served as publicity director and frequently clashed with the union. While president of Daejeon MBC, critics accused her and other executives of undermining editorial independence, compromising fairness and production autonomy, and repressing journalists.
Lee entered politics in 2019 when she joined the Liberty Korea Party. She sought the party nomination in the Daegu Dong‑gu Gap primary for the 21st parliamentary election but was not selected. In 2024 the Yoon administration nominated her to lead the KCC, and her confirmation hearing drew scrutiny for statements tied to right‑wing activism. When asked about “liking” posts that disparaged the May 18 Gwangju uprising, she responded, “I don’t know when our country began enforcing a ‘likes’ guilt‑by‑association. I don’t even know about acquaintances’ guilt‑by‑association,” adding, “I’ll be more careful with my finger movements,” a remark that provoked backlash.
In August 2024 the National Assembly approved an impeachment motion related to the unlawful two‑person decisions, but the Constitutional Court dismissed it in a 4–4 ruling. Lee is also under investigation for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act after posting on conservative YouTube channels and social media that the country needs “warriors to fight fake leftists.”
Kim began attracting attention as a conservative jurist after publicly criticizing the Moon Jae‑in administration’s prosecution reform and was thereafter described as a prominent conservative judge. He resigned from the bench in 2021 and joined a group that supported Yoon Suk‑yeol’s presidential bid. After Yoon’s inauguration, Kim was appointed vice chair of the Anti‑Corruption and Civil Rights Commission in October 2022 and was later considered, unsuccessfully, for the top post at the Corruption Investigation Office for High‑ranking Officials.
President Yoon appointed Lee and Kim to the KCC in July 2024, with Kim serving as vice chair. Despite limited relevant experience, Kim was unusually named a standing commissioner. During an October 24 parliamentary hearing last year, Rep. Lee Hae‑min of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party asked Kim about user performance ratings—“Do you know what grades exist?”—and Kim was unable to answer.
Kim drew further criticism in August 2024 when opposition lawmakers conducting an on‑site inspection said he appeared to slouch and prop his chin in a manner they considered disrespectful. In an October 2024 hearing, a Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation employee collapsed while testifying; Kim was reported to have shouted an expletive that many found shocking. Reports also said he reacted strongly after Acting President Sangmok approved a Constitutional Court justice nomination at a Cabinet meeting following former President Yoon’s declaration of emergency measures, a sequence that fueled additional controversy.
