The nominee to head the state broadcasting watchdog argued Thursday that in order for public broadcasters and print media to escape the pressures posed by political and commercial powers, they must also separate themselves from labor organizations.

Former MBC journalist Lee Jin-sook made the remarks at a press briefing after President Yoon Suk Yeol nominated her as the next chief of the Korea Communications Commission(KCC).

She said many employees of public broadcasters and media outlets are members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU).

Lee also criticized MBC's reporting of President Yoon Suk Yeol's hot mic moment at the UN General Assembly in 2022, which a court later ordered MBC to correct, saying the public broadcaster had neglected to follow basic reporting standards. She stressed the media should not issue reports unless the audio is 100 percent clearly heard.

The nominee said "fake news" like the MBC report have been issued since President Yoon took office, refuting the opposition party's push to impeach two former KCC chairs in a bid to block the administration's control over broadcasters.

Lee then urged the appointment of new board members at public broadcasters KBS, MBC and EBS, as terms for their sitting members are set to end in the coming weeks.