Politics · South Korea · 11 hrs ago
South Korean parliamentary audit collapses amid dispute over lawmakers' participation
South Korea's parliamentary audit of public broadcasters broke down on October 16 after lawmakers from rival parties argued over who could take part.
The audit covered KBS, EBS and other public media bodies.
The Democratic Party said Lee Jin-sook should be excluded because she had previously served as broadcasting regulator and could face a conflict of interest.
Lee and her People Power Party colleagues objected, while the party also called for Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho to be excluded over allegations of pressure on KBS news coverage.
The dispute prompted repeated suspensions, including after Han questioned KBS witnesses about the allegations; a KBS journalist said he did not agree that pressure had been exerted.
Only four of the committee's 18 members completed questioning before the session ended without resuming, and the sources give no next meeting date.
A South Korean parliamentary audit on public broadcasters broke down after lawmakers argued over whether two members should take part.
The dispute concerned People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-sook and Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho.
The audit began on Oct. 16 and was suspended about 90 minutes later, before substantive questioning had begun.
It resumed about an hour later, then stopped again after further arguments over allegations involving Han.
The audit did not resume, and it ended automatically after only four of the committee’s 18 members had questioned witnesses.
- Who
- Members of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, including Lee Jin-sook and Han Jun-ho.
- What
- An audit of public broadcasters broke down amid disputes over whether Lee and Han should be excluded from related proceedings.
- When
- Oct. 16, 2026.
- Where
- The National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea.
- Why
- The parties disagreed over alleged conflicts of interest involving Lee’s former role as broadcasting regulator chief and allegations of pressure on KBS reporting involving Han.
Democratic Party lawmakers
People Power Party lawmakers
Lee’s participation
Democratic Party lawmakers
Lee’s former role as chair of the Korea Communications Commission raised a conflict-of-interest concern in an audit of public broadcasters.
People Power Party lawmakers
The decision to exclude Lee was arbitrary; Lee said her constituents had given her the right to speak.
Han’s participation
Democratic Party lawmakers
The sources do not report a Democratic Party position on excluding Han.
People Power Party lawmakers
Han should be excluded from KBS-related questioning because of allegations that he pressured KBS reporting.
A resolution to exclude Lee from the audit was passed with support from lawmakers across the ruling bloc.
Lawmakers argued over Lee’s exclusion and allegations involving Han, and the audit was suspended about 90 minutes after it began.
The audit resumed, but arguments flared again after Han questioned KBS witnesses about the allegations.
The audit was suspended again and did not resume; it ended automatically after four of the committee’s 18 members had questioned witnesses.
- Committee
- National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee
- Audit date
- Oct. 16, 2026
- Lawmakers at center of dispute
- Lee Jin-sook and Han Jun-ho
- Committee membership
- 18 members
- Members who completed questioning
- 4
- Audited organizations
- KBS, EBS, Broadcasting Culture Promotion Association and Korea Press Foundation’s Media Foundation for the Disabled
4 sources
What people are saying
An audit is a place to monitor and criticize the overall operation of state affairs, not a place to defend one's past.
The right to speak in this committee is a sacred right given to me by voters in Dalseong County, Daegu.
Unless the committee's resolution is changed or invalidated by law or some other authority, I think it is right as chair to respect that resolution.
I find it difficult to agree that there was pressure, and my conclusion is that even the company does not consider it pressure.