Beom-Soo Park

• Position : Senior Reporter of MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, South Korea)
• Period of Fellowship: Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity (2010-2011)
• Sponsor : MBC

I started my career as a broadcast journalist in 1997 when I joined my current company, MBC. Since then I have been working for both TV and Radio programs of MBC mainly covering the fields like Political Affairs, Civil Society News, and Investigative Reportings. MBC is one of the major nation-wide public broadcast networks in South Korea continually maintaining its top-ranked credibility since the foundation in 1961. I am very proud of working for MBC and aspire to contribute in setting constructive social agendas while leading the public opinion of South Korea.
 
I have majored and obtained Bachelor's Degree on Korean Literature and Master's Degree on Political Science from Korea University. 
 
Research project: 

A Comparative Study of the Conflicts Between Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) and Governments in the UK and South Korea

The relationship of PSB and political power occasionally enter into conflict and tension due to their different positions and perspectives on critical national agenda. Two good examples on such conflict were the "Gilligan Affair" (2003) and the "Hutton Inquiry" (2004) which arose between BBC and Tony Blair's government during the Iraq War. 
My research will focus on the political relationship between the British government and BBC that was illustrated through the Gilligan Affair case. And it will examine systematic devices through which Korean public service broadcasters, such as MBC and KBS, can keep their independence from political power.