Min Kyung-wook
Overview
Min Kyung-wook (閔庚旭, born August 23, 1966) is a South Korean politician and former journalist. After working as a KBS reporter, he entered politics and served as a member of the 20th National Assembly (Future United Party, Incheon Yeonsu-gu District B). He is currently active as a co-chair of the Free Press Movement Union and is also known as a conservative political commentator.
Main Content
Early Life and Education
Min Kyung-wook was born on August 23, 1966, in Seoul. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in law and participated in campus media activities during his university years.
Journalism Career
In 1992, he joined KBS as a publicly recruited reporter, covering various fields including the social affairs, political, and economic departments. In the early 2000s, he served as the main producer of KBS 1TV's 'Current Affairs Planning Window' (시사기획 창), producing several current affairs programs. He later worked as a reporter in the KBS News Division and also served as an anchor for 'KBS News 9'. In 2012, he served as the chairman of the KBS labor union, actively voicing concerns over media labor rights and the independence of public broadcasting.
Entry into Politics and National Assembly Activities
In the 2016 20th National Assembly election, he ran as a candidate for the Saenuri Party in the Incheon Yeonsu-gu District B constituency and was elected. After his election, he served as a member of the Future United Party (now the People Power Party), working on the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. His key legislative activities included proposing amendments to the Broadcasting Act and deliberating media-related bills, particularly making active statements on issues concerning the fairness of public broadcasting.
Party Withdrawal and Subsequent Activities
After losing in the 2020 21st National Assembly election, Min Kyung-wook left the People Power Party and took on the role of co-chair of the Free Press Movement Union, working as a conservative political commentator. He operates a YouTube channel called 'Min Kyung-wook's News Factory' (민경욱의 뉴스공장) to express his political views.
Controversies
Min Kyung-wook has been embroiled in several controversies from his journalism days through his political career. Notably, during the 2019 'Cho Kuk scandal', he took a hardline conservative stance in the debate over prosecutorial reform, leading to conflicts with the progressive camp. He also sparked controversy in 2020 with his criticism of the government's COVID-19 quarantine policies. In 2021, he was sued for allegedly spreading false information on his YouTube channel.
Recent Trends
As of 2024, Min Kyung-wook is actively engaged on YouTube and various current affairs programs, establishing himself as a prominent conservative pundit. In early 2025, through the 'Free Press Movement Union', he continues to raise issues of bias in public broadcasting, and there is ongoing speculation about his potential candidacy in the next National Assembly election. Recently, he has drawn attention for his remarks on AI and media regulation.
Related Topics
- [[KBS]]
- [[20th National Assembly election]]
- [[Future United Party]]
- [[Free Press Movement Union]]
- [[Incheon Yeonsu-gu District B]]