Lee nominates Yonsei law professor Kim Jong-cheol as first chair of new media watchdog
Published: 28 Nov. 2025, 18:10
Updated: 28 Nov. 2025, 19:04
![Kim Jong-cheol, a Yonsei University Law School professor, is nominated as the first chair of the Korea Media and Communications Commission. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/11/28/401f6e00-1e20-4931-a0d8-f1d08d71fef6.jpg)
Kim Jong-cheol, a Yonsei University Law School professor, is nominated as the first chair of the Korea Media and Communications Commission. [YONHAP]
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday nominated Kim Jong-cheol, a professor at Yonsei University's Law School, as the first chair of the newly launched Korea Media and Communications Commission.
Kim Ei-tak, a former senior land ministry official who currently teaches at Kyung-in Women's University, was appointed first vice minister of land, infrastructure and transport, replacing Lee Sang-kyeong, who resigned earlier over controversy surrounding past YouTube remarks and allegations of speculative gap investing.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the appointments during a Friday briefing.
The government launched the commission on Oct. 1 after abolishing the Korea Communications Commission and integrating the broadcasting promotion functions previously overseen by the Ministry of Science and ICT. But with the chairmanship vacant for weeks, the agency had been effectively inactive.
With the nomination now made, the commission is expected to move quickly toward full operation.
Kim Jong-cheol, the nominee for chair, has served as president of the Korean Public Law Association, the Korean Society for Media Law, Ethics and Policy Research and the Korean Association of Human Rights Law.
The president’s appointee to the Korea Media and Communications Commission board, Ryu Shin-hwan, an attorney at Jihyang, previously served as a member of the Media Harm Relief Committee at the Center for Media Responsibility and Human Rights and as chair of the media committee of Lawyers for a Democratic Society.
Kim Ei-tak, newly appointed first vice minister of land, is a career policy official who has served as a standing member of the Central Land Tribunal, as head of the Urban Regeneration Planning Group, and as director-general for policy planning at the ministry. His appointment comes about a month after the former vice minister stepped down.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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