Yang Seung-dong (Korean: 양승동, born 15 July 1961) is a South Korean journalist. He served as the 23rd and 24th President of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS).
In 2008, Yang was one of the co-Presidents of the KBS Employees Action to Defend Public Broadcasting (shortly Employees Action), an organisation fighting against the media control of the President of the Republic, Lee Myung-bak.[7] The organisation also aimed to protect the incumbent KBS President Chung Yeon-joo from dismissal.[8][9] After Lee Byung-soon replaced Chung, Yang was sacked from KBS,[10] but filed an appeal so that the punishment was eased to 4-month suspension.[11] He was assigned to the Non-production Department for 2 years.[3][9][2]
On 5 February 2018, almost a year after Moon Jae-in and the Democratic Party of Korea came to power, Yang announced his bid for KBS presidency after considering for a month.[8] According to an interview with Media Today, he explained that one of his juniors advised him to take the office.[8] He also added that KBS, as a public broadcasting, should be independent from bureaucrats and capitals, citing examples of JTBC and MBC.[8] On 26 February, Yang was formally chosen as the sole presidential candidate for KBS.[9][6] The decision was subsequently endorsed by National Union of Mediaworkers KBS (shortly KBS New Trade Union).[9] On 6 April, he was officially appointed by the President of the Republic Moon Jae-in, though he failed to pass the National Assembly hearing process, in which the Liberty Korea Party opposed his appointment.[12]
On 31 October 2018, Yang was re-elected for his office, after passing an interview of KBS board of directors and citizens' advisories.[5] His inauguration was held on 12 December 2018.[2] In his capacity as President of KBS, Yang has also been a member of the Global Task Force for Public Media, an initiative of the Public Media Alliance, since May 2020.[13]
On 30 March 2018, during the parliamentary hearing session, a Liberty Korea MP Park Dae-chool said that he received a report, which Yang was at a karaoke in Haeundae on 16 April 2014, the day of the MV Sewol tragedy.[14] Yang at first denied it, but soon Park revealed a statement describing that Yang purchased at a karaoke via KBS credit card on the day of the tragedy.[14] Another Liberty Korea MP, Min Kyung-wook, criticised, "Although he did not breach the law, he kept denying the facts. It means that he disdained the Parliament."[14] In the end, Yang finally apologised.[14]
Yang has also been criticised for Tonight Kim Je-dong, a new programme organised under his presidency.[16] Sunday Journal cited that Kim Je-dong, the programme's emcee, receives high performance fees despite its low ratings.[16]
On 4 December 2018, the programme broadcast an interview with Kim Soo-geun, a founder of the now-defunct Youth Party and the incumbent President of the Welcome to The Great, who praised Kim Jong-un during the interview session.[17] The KBS Public Trade Union filed a lawsuit against Yang and the in charges under the breach of the National Security Act.[18]Na Kyung-won, the Liberty Korea parliamentary leader, urged its all MPs to not appear on the programme.[19]