[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] Applications for the open recruitment of candidates for the 28th KBS President will begin on the 17th.

The application period runs from 10:00 a.m. today until 6:00 p.m. on the 28th. Applicants may submit the required documents in person at the Board of Directors Secretariat on the 5th floor of the KBS New Building in Yeouido, Seoul, or via certified mail. Application forms and management plans must also be submitted as files on a USB flash drive. Required documents include the application form, management plan, declaration of no grounds for disqualification, and the preliminary questionnaire for prospective high-ranking public officials.
Previously, at a board meeting held on the 9th, the KBS Board of Directors approved a recruitment announcement for the nomination of a president. The board outlined the following eligibility requirements: △ a firm commitment to and vision for fulfilling KBS’s public responsibility; △ management skills, leadership, media expertise, and experience to drive innovation at KBS; and △ the moral character and ethical standards befitting the president of a public broadcaster. It also stipulated that candidates must not fall under any of the grounds for disqualification specified in Article 48 of the Broadcasting Act.
The Board of Directors will conduct a document review of applicants over two days, on the 6th and 8th of next month. If necessary, an additional Board interview may be held prior to the business plan presentation. Subsequently, on the 17th of the same month, candidates will undergo an evaluation by the National Committee for the Recommendation of President Candidates, which will include a business plan presentation, interview, and deliberative discussion, followed by a Board interview on the 21st. The future schedule is subject to change depending on the progress of the process.
The Board of Directors established the following evaluation criteria: △ ensuring the public nature and independence of public broadcasting and strengthening viewer trust; △ a future vision for the status and role of public broadcasting in response to changes in the media environment; △ overcoming the financial crisis and stabilizing the funding structure of public broadcasting; △ the accountability and integrity befitting a public broadcasting president; and △ the abilities and qualities suitable for a public broadcasting president.
The previous day, an extraordinary board meeting was held to approve the composition of the National Recommendation Committee for the 28th President and the organizations responsible for its operation, as well as the expert panel, for the purpose of recommending a candidate for the presidency.
For the organizing and operating body, the board conducted presentation evaluations of organizations that applied through an open call and selected the consortium of Korea Research and the Conflict Resolution & Peace Center, which received the highest score among those meeting the eligibility criteria. KBS plans to sign a contract with the selected consortium and proceed with the formation and operation of the National Recommendation Committee for President Candidates.
The term of office for the new KBS President is three years, with the possibility of one reappointment. In accordance with the Board of Directors’ resolution, the candidate recommended for appointment as President will undergo a parliamentary confirmation hearing in accordance with Article 50, Paragraph 2 of the Broadcasting Act, Article 65-2 of the National Assembly Act, and the Personnel Confirmation Hearing Act.
Meanwhile, current President Park Jang-beom was originally granted a three-year term and has approximately one year and three months remaining. In this context, the Board of Directors is proceeding with the selection process for a new president in accordance with the supplementary provisions of the Broadcasting Act, which stipulate that the current president may only perform his duties until a successor is appointed under the amended law.
President Park argues that the KBS Board of Directors lacks the legal authority to appoint a new president because only eight of the 15 board members have been appointed. In this regard, he has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction requesting that the effectiveness of the board’s resolution be suspended.