By Lee Hyo-sik
Media workers’ unions and progressive civic groups have jointly filed a complaint with the prosecution against Choi See-joong, former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), claiming he provided bribes to lawmakers to help push media-related policies of the Lee Myung-Bak administration.
In a press conference held in front of the KCC headquarters in downtown Seoul at 11 a.m. Friday, the People’s Coalition for Media Reform said prosecutors should immediately launch an investigation into a series of corruption allegations involving the former KCC chairman and his aides.
The coalition was established in 1998 jointly by the National Union of Media Workers and 47 progressive civic groups.
“Despite a flurry of allegations that Choi and his close aides were implicated in multiple corruption scandals, the prosecution has not taken any action,” it said in a statement.
“The public wants to know the truth behind the scandal. Prosecutors have an obligation to meet public demands by thoroughly probing these corruption allegations and bring those involved to justice.”
After the press conference, the coalition filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at 2 p.m.
It claimed the former KCC chairman instructed his subordinates to provide cash to members of the National Assembly Culture, Broadcasting and Tourism committee in a bid to win their cooperation on media policies forwarded by the government.
“Media reports also alleged that Choi gave an envelope containing cash to ruling party lawmakers supporting President Lee. He and his confidents may flee the country to evade prosecution. Or, they could collude to manipulate evidence and cover up their crimes,” the coalition said. “Law enforcement authorities should immediately prevent them from going abroad and detain them for questioning.”
On Jan. 27, Choi stepped down from his post amid growing public criticism over a string of bribery and influence-peddling scandals. The former Donga Ilbo reporter headed the KCC, the state body that supervises the country’s telecommunications and broadcasting policies, for four years since 2008.
Choi, one of the closest confidants of President Lee Myung-bak, has been under growing pressure to step down over the allegation that Jeong Yong-wook, his former policy aide, received 200 million won in bribes from Kim Hak-in, an operator of a local education institution, in return for helping him get selected as a board member of the state-run EBS station. The aide is also implicated in another bribery incident involving lawmakers in charge of media policies in 2009, following the passage of the revised media bill. Jeong resigned from his post in October last year and fled the country.