Go Gwang-heon, nominee for chairman of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), expressed regret over a past social media post alleging vote-rigging in former President Park Geun-hye’s 2012 election victory. On April 1, he stated, “I didn’t know it was wrong at the time, and I deeply regret it.”
Criticism During National Assembly Hearing
During a National Assembly committee meeting on election integrity, lawmaker Kim Ui-won questioned Go about the 2012 post. Kim highlighted that the claim surfaced during a presidential election scandal involving vote-buying by a key figure close to Park. “Does the nominee have a rebuttal statement on this matter?” Kim asked.
Go responded, “Personally, I regret sharing that content.” He clarified that his action was merely a “like” or retweet, adding, “I have no reason or rebuttal for that single instance, and I regret it.”
Past SNS Activity and Responses
Investigators noted additional 2013 SNS posts by Go, including criticisms such as “Park Geun-hye fabricated her presidential candidacy through external intervention and hypocrisy” and “Park is not a legitimate presidential candidate for the nation.” Go explained these as personal opinions, stating they even appeared in French media but were just one retweet.
Kim also pointed to Go’s alleged involvement in a documentary linked to North Korean hacking provocations. The film, titled “North Korean Pro-Jeong Project,” featured content from Go’s 2013 SNS posts on North Korean hacking incidents. Go defended it as an artistic work, saying, “It gathers people who perceive the times through images and motivates them to reflect critically—this was the motive for making the film.”
He added, “Such things are objective facts anyone can see and understand,” emphasizing, “A journalist’s public opinion input should sincerely reveal truths.” Go maintained that his statements reflected a journalist’s input at the time.
