Singer Kim stages rally against MBC

Singer Kim Heung-gook stages a one-man rally in front of MBC, Seoul, Monday, demanding the broadcaster reinstate him to his radio program. / Yonhap

By Kim Rahn

Singer Kim Heung-gook held a one-man rally in front of the headquarters of MBC in central Seoul, Monday, in protest of the broadcaster recently ousting the entertainer from his radio program.

Kim, forced to leave his program "Hurray, 2 p.m". Sunday, staged the protest at MBC with a picket that read: "I'm sorry, audience of Hurray 2 p.m".

"I stage this demonstration in order to prevent other entertainers from being kicked off their shows. I'll hold the rally every day between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. until Friday, and I'll have my hair shaved on Friday at noon in protest", Kim said.

He said on June 3 that the broadcaster's radio department head, Lee Woo-yong, told him to leave the program as his participation in a by-election campaign was inappropriate.

During the by-election in April, Kim joined a campaign for Kang Jae-sup, then ruling Grand National Party candidate for Bundang B district in Gyeonggi Province.

"This comes from Lee's personal, biased political views. I never used the broadcast for political purposes. If they don't like my political bias, they should have not hired me from the beginning", he said.

"MBC should clarify what its qualification for radio presenter is and why I was shut out without any prior warning", the singer said.

It was said that the MBC union started the issue on May 31, saying the broadcaster was supposed to keep neutral ahead of an election but Lee defended Kim's alleged political activity.

But an MBC spokesman said Kim first told them that he would leave the show for personal reasons and they accepted it. Kim had emceed the program for 14 months since April last year.

Regarding the issue, the union of singers called for MBC to allow Kim to return to his program.

"MBC should be blamed for treating popular artists as expendable staff that it can discard at any time. The MBC union is also responsible for using a popular artist as a tool to protest against management", the singers' union said in a statement.

김흥국 MBC 앞에서 1인 시위

김흥국은 MBC 라디오 '김흥국 김경식의 2시 만세' 퇴출과 관련해 이날 오전 10시부터 '청취자 여러분 죄송합니다'라는 문구가 적힌 피켓을 들고 1인 시위에 들어갔다.

김흥국은 "일방적으로 희생 당하는 연예인 진행자 퇴출 재발을 방지하기 위해 피를 토하는 심정으로 1인 시위에 나선다"며 입장을 밝혔다.

앞서 김흥국은 지난 4·27 재보궐 선거 당시 경기 분당을 선거구에서 한나라당 강재섭(63) 후보쪽 선거운동을 했다는 의혹을 받았다.

이에 김흥국은 "정몽준 의원과의 친분 관계는 이미 잘 알려진 사실"이라며 "어떠한 정치적 목적을 위해 방송에서 정치적 견해를 표명하는 등 방송을 이용한 사실이 없다"며 "방송에서 만약 정치 성향이 문제가 됐다면 처음부터 채용하지 말았어야 했다" "뒤늦게 문제 삼는 치졸한 작태는 그야말로 MBC만이 가능한 마녀사냥이다"라며 비난했다.

한편 김흥국은 17일까지 매일 오전 10시부터 오후 1시까지 1인 시위를 할 예정이며 17일 오후 12시에는 삭발식을 갖는다.