National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik approved the nomination of Choi Soo-young, a political commentator recommended by the People Power Party, as a non-standing member of the Broadcast Media Communications Commission. The commission still needs 1 standing member allocated to the People Power Party to complete its lineup.

Political circles said on Thursday that Woo signed off on the nomination of Choi on Wednesday evening and transferred it to the Ministry of Personnel Management. Choi’s appointment will be decided after procedures including personnel vetting and a presidential appointment process.

Choi is a former reporter at Kangwon Ilbo and has served as senior deputy spokesperson for the Saenuri Party, now the People Power Party. He also served as a senior administrative officer in the presidential office spokesperson’s office under the Park Geun-hye administration, head of the management planning office at the Korea Communications Agency, a KBS viewers committee member and an expert member of the science, technology and education subcommittee of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s transition committee. Until recently, he continued broadcasting activities as a political commentator.

Including Choi, the commission is currently composed of Chairman Kim Jong-chul, standing member Ko Min-soo and non-standing members Ryu Shin-hwan, Yoon Sung-ok and Lee Sang-geun. The seven-member commission still lacks 1 standing member allocated to the People Power Party to complete its lineup.

A recommendation for Cheon Young-sik, nominated by the People Power Party as a standing commission member, was previously put to a vote at a National Assembly plenary session on Feb. 26 but was rejected. Criticism was raised inside and outside parliament that Pen & Mike, led by Cheon, had published a column defending former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 martial law.