Jang-beom Park inaugurated as the 27th President of KBS [Full Text]

Park Jang-beom, former KBS News 9 anchor, has been inaugurated as the 27th KBS president. President Park expressed in his inaugural speech on the 10th, “During the national chaos threatening the democratic order and constitutional values due to the state of martial law, I feel a heavy responsibility as the president of the public broadcaster,” and pledged, “I will remain committed to the role of a public broadcaster, focusing solely on the people who are the true owners of KBS.” President Park further stated, “I will protect the trust, fairness, dignity, and political independence embedded in the four letters of ‘public broadcaster’ against any power or unjust pressure” and added, “I will do my best to live up to the expectations of viewers who desire reliable and fair reporting during the national turmoil caused by the state of martial law.” Moreover, President Park emphasized in his speech that partisan and biased appointments, retaliatory personnel actions, disciplinary actions, factions, and lining up cultures should now disappear from KBS, and he intends to build a work-centered organization through competence-based appointments and create better broadcasting content.

He also expressed his determination to actively respond to the new subscription fee environment in order to ensure stable financial resources that are the foundation for producing high-quality content, while also actively addressing the subscription fee-related legislative discussions currently underway in the National Assembly. Although President Park was originally scheduled to hold the inauguration ceremony at 10 a.m. at the KBS main building 2nd floor TV studio, it was canceled due to opposition from members, and he started work without a ceremony.

<Below is the full inaugural speech of Park Jang-beom, the 27th President of KBS> Inaugural Speech as the 27th President of Korean Broadcasting System Dear KBS family, I am Park Jang-beom, who has been inaugurated as the 27th president of KBS. Last week’s state of martial law has threatened the democratic order and constitutional values.

Amid the ongoing national chaos, I stand here feeling a severe sense of responsibility as the president of a public broadcaster. The true owner of KBS is the public.

Viewers, who are also sovereign citizens, demand that the value of the constitution defined by liberal democracy be faithfully carried out in the realm of broadcasting.

I promise that I will not bow to any power or unjust pressure and will remain committed to the role of public broadcasting while focusing only on the people who are the true owners of KBS. I will protect the trust, fairness, dignity, and political independence embedded in the four letters of ‘public broadcaster.’

I will not yield to any challenge that undermines these values. In the chaos of the national turmoil triggered by the state of martial law, I will do my utmost to meet the expectations of viewers who desire reliable and fair reporting and broadcasting. Dear employees,

I will create a work-centered organization through competence-based appointments in the future.

Partisan, biased appointments, retaliatory personnel actions or discipline, factionalism, and lining up culture should now disappear from KBS.

Through fair personnel management that rewards effective work, I will create better broadcasting content.

Stable financial resources are the foundation for producing high-quality content. Responding diligently to the new license fee environment brought about by the separation of license fee notices, I will also actively engage in the legislative discussions on licensing fees currently underway in the National Assembly.

I will listen to and continue to hear the voices of the broadcasting field and the thoughts of the employees. Through this process, I will overcome the organizational collective clashes and conflicts that were repeated during times of political change and the resulting rooted extreme individualism and cynicism.

I will strive to regain the accomplishments and satisfaction that come from respect and cooperation among colleagues who work together. Many challenges and tasks lie ahead of us.

In order to overcome the crisis and make KBS stand tall as the national broadcaster through change and innovation, I ask for your support. Thank you. December 10, 2024, Park Jang-beom, the 27th President of KBS Reporter Park Se-yeon psyon@edaily.co.kr