Kim Jong-cheol, 59, a professor at Yonsei University Law School, was named on the 28th as the inaugural Chairperson of the Korea Media and Communications Commission.
Born in 1966 in Jinju, South Gyeongsang, Kim graduated from Masan Jungang High School and Seoul National University's department of public law. He earned a master's in law from Seoul National University Graduate School and received his master's and doctorate from the department of law at the London School of Economics (LSE) in the United Kingdom. Starting in 1999, he served as a full-time lecturer and assistant professor at Hanyang University's college of law. In 2003, he worked as an assistant professor and associate professor in Yonsei University's department of law. After becoming associate dean of Yonsei University's college of law in 2008, he has served as a professor at Yonsei University Law School since 2009.
Kim served as the 40th president of the Korean Public Law Association, president of the Korean Society for Media Law, and president of the Korean Society for Human Rights Law, establishing himself as a scholar in public law, media, and human rights. He also worked as vice chair of the Presidential Special Committee on National Constitution Advisory and as a research fellow at the Information and Communication Ethics Committee.
Kim published numerous works, including The politics of constitutional amendment (2017); Review of constitutional amendment proposals related to the power structure and judicial reform (2018); Rethinking reform of the National Assembly election law system: from the perspective of the evolution of the "Korean-style democratic republic system" (2020); and Tasks for reform of the 1987 system and the role of constitutional adjudication: focusing on the Moon Jae-in amendment proposal (2022).
The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) will handle not only the former duties of the Korea Communications Commission but also related policies such as pay TV and new media that had been overseen by the Ministry of Science and ICT. The new Chairperson of the Korea Media and Communications Commission must establish efficient, integrated policies in step with the rapid changes in the media environment, secure the public interest and fairness of the media, and resolve pending issues related to regulation and promotion.
Whether Kim will be appointed will be finalized after personnel vetting and a National Assembly confirmation hearing. Presidential Office Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung described Kim as "a constitutional law scholar and media law expert with a deep understanding of freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution and its limits," adding, "With popular sovereignty as the foremost value, he is considered suitable to strengthen the public function and social responsibility of broadcast media, adapt to the new digital media industry environment, and push deregulation and legal-system improvements."