Park Jang-beom was inaugurated as the 27th President of KBS today (10th).
In his inaugural speech, President Park stated, “I feel a serious sense of responsibility as the president of a public broadcaster in a situation of national chaos where democratic order and constitutional values are threatened by a state of emergency,” and added, “I will focus solely on the people, who are the owners of KBS, and fulfill the role of a public broadcaster.”
He also emphasized, “I will not yield to any power or unjust pressure and will uphold the trust, fairness, dignity, and political independence contained in the four letters of public broadcasting,” and pledged, “I will do my best to meet the expectations of viewers who want reliable and fair reporting and broadcasting amid the national chaos triggered by the state of emergency.”
Originally, President Park's inauguration ceremony was scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. today, but it was canceled as the KBS's largest union, the Korean Federation of Media Workers' Unions KBS Branch, went on a general strike, with about 700 union members gathering at the KBS headquarters.
President Park joined KBS as a reporter in 1994 and has served as the anchor for 'News 9' since last year. He faced criticism earlier this year for downplaying the issue by referring to a luxury bag received by First Lady Kim Kun-hee as a 'pouch' during a broadcast interview with President Yoon Suk-yeol.
President Park's term is three years, from today until December 9, 2027.
