In response to concerns over political interference in the selection of the president of Yonhap News Agency, a legal proposal has been introduced in South Korea's National Assembly that aims to diversify the recommendation process and involve citizens in the selection of the agency's president. This move seeks to address longstanding worries about the agency's political dependency, especially concerning its editorial independence and public service function. Internal voices from Yonhap emphasize the necessity for more robust reforms that can effectively curtail political influence and institutionalize editorial freedom.

The discussion surrounding these reforms gained traction during a recent forum hosted by the Korean Federation of Press Workers and several lawmakers, including Min Hyung-bae from the Democratic Party and Kim Jae-won from the Justice Party. During the forum, Go Byeong-jun, a representative of the Yonhap Union, highlighted that the debate on altering the News Agency Promotion Act, which has continued for over two decades, has finally reached a stage of public discourse in the political arena, thanks in part to the recent proposal by Congressman Min. However, he cautioned that the proposal contains several shortcomings, particularly emphasizing that the focus remains overly concentrated on the president's selection process.

The proposed amendments include increasing the number of directors of the News Agency Promotion Association and establishing a 'citizen recommendation committee' to nominate presidential candidates. Under the current law, the Promotion Association is controlled by a board with a substantial government representation, leading to potential biases in appointments. The new proposal seeks to expand this Board to include more diverse stakeholders, thereby reducing governmental overreach and fostering a more independent and representative governing structure within the agency advocating for improved governance in the media landscape.