New director presents vision of trust restoration and smart media development, pledges to bridge military and public

Deputy Defense Minister Lee Du-hee (left) presents the Korea Defense Media Agency flag to incoming director Bae Jong-ho at an inauguration ceremony held at the agency's headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Korea Defense Daily]
Deputy Defense Minister Lee Du-hee (left) presents the Korea Defense Media Agency flag to incoming director Bae Jong-ho at an inauguration ceremony held at the agency's headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Korea Defense Daily]

Bae Jong-ho took office Wednesday as the 16th director of the Korea Defense Media Agency.

The agency held an inauguration ceremony for Bae at its Studio 1 on Tuesday.

Bae was appointed through an open competitive recruitment process designed to place the most qualified candidates in positions requiring specialized expertise, as part of broader efforts to strengthen competitiveness within the public sector.

Bae joined KBS in 1987 and spent years on the front lines of journalism as a political and social affairs reporter and later as a New York correspondent. After leaving KBS in 2006, he remained active in academic and civic circles, serving as a professor at Sehan University and as chairman of the Korea Association of Political Commentators.

Deputy Defense Minister Lee Du-hee attended the ceremony and offered congratulations, saying he had "no doubt" that Bae would "carry out the duties of Korea Defense Media Agency director with distinction, drawing on his wide-ranging experience."

In his inaugural address, Bae outlined a vision centered on the complete end of insurrection, restoring public trust in the military, rebuilding the agency's honor and credibility, and advancing smart media development.

"The Korea Defense Media Agency must be an institution that unites the people and the military as one, instills pride in service members, and communicates the value of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces to the world," he said.

He added that the agency "must do its utmost to strengthen the military's ideological readiness based on constitutional values, grounded in political neutrality," and pledged to build "a Korea Defense Media Agency where each person can work with conviction, guided by constitutional values and the conscience of a media professional."

Bae also promised to "actively leverage AI and cutting-edge new technologies and strengthen civilian-government-military cooperation," vowing to do everything possible to grow the agency into "a media institution trusted and valued by the public."


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