President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday named Lee Jin-sook, a former journalist of public broadcaster MBC, as new chief of the state broadcasting watchdog, in a reshuffle that also affected the environment minister and the financial regulator chief. The nomination of Lee for chief of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) came two days after former KCC Chairman Kim Hong-il stepped down voluntarily ahead of an opposition-led parliamentary impeachment vote against him. The resignation was aimed at preventing the chairman's duties from being suspended as impeachment would automatically suspend the job. The watchdog's chairman holds the key to decisions on broadcasting stations, including the appointment of a new president at MBC TV. Kim's predecessor, Lee Dong-kwan, also resigned ahead of an impeachment vote in December. "I stand here with a heavy heart because I have been nominated after witnessing my two predecessors step down after just three and six months, respectively," Lee said during a briefing at the presidential office. "They did not engage in any illegal activities while performing their duties. They left their positions to prevent the disruption of the KCC's duties ahead of politically driven impeachments," she added. The DP, which has a controlling majority of 170 seats in the 300-member Assembly, has accused the former KCC chiefs of unfairly running the broadcasting watchdog only with a vice chairperson, leaving three out of five standing member positions vacant. If she takes office, Lee said she will normalize the KCC to restore public trust, urging the opposition to recommend standing committees to fill up the vacant posts as soon as possible. "I have even risked my life to report stories and I am proud of my career as a broadcasting journalist," said Lee, who earned several awards for her coverage for the Gulf War and the Iraq War. "If appointed, I will dedicate myself to the development of Korea's public broadcasting, while upholding the neutrality required of the job." Lee is subject to par liamentary hearings, although Yoon can proceed with the appointment regardless of the outcome of the hearing. In the latest reshuffle, Kim Byoung-hwan, the first vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was nominated as the new head of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), chief of staff Chung Jin-suk said. If confirmed, Kim said he will prioritize reducing financial risks related to the real estate sector and household debt. "I think the top priority will be managing risks related to real estate project financing," Kim said. "I will also pay special attention to manage the rising household debts in the latter half of this year." Additionally, Kim Wan-sup, who previously served as the second vice finance minister, was named as the minister of environment. "Based on years of accumulated policy experience, he is fit to listen to diverse public opinions and make reasonable improvements to environmental regulations," Chung said. Source: Yonhap News Agency