Kim Jae-chul, the newly appointed president of the nation's second-largest broadcasting network, MBC, couldn't perform his first-day duties at his office at its Yeouido headquarters, Tuesday. He was blocked by scores of the company's unionists who had stayed up all night at the main gate Monday.

Tuesday's confrontation was a repeat of what happened to Kim In-kyu, the new president of state-controlled KBS, an extension of a fight broadcast journalists are waging to thwart the Lee Myung-bak administration's attempt to gain control over the media.

MBC's new president Kim arrived at the building around 8:47 a.m., greeted by the company's key officials at the lobby. However, he was confronted by the station's union leader, Lee Geun-haeng, who accused him of being a subordinate faithful to the government.

About 20 minutes later, Kim left the venue with a sour smile on his face.

Kim, who became a reporter at MBC in 1979, has tried to persuade the unionists that he will "stand firm against the state-power and be protective of the company's given mission".

However, when questioned whether he would establish an auditory committee to investigate the company's investigative TV program "PD Notebook", he said, "I trust my workers. But they may have made unintentional mistakes. I would like to talk to them and look into documents and information". This answer was widely taken as an affirmation that the audit will be carried out as wished by the current government.

PD Notebook is a news magazine program that raised the issue over the connection of mad cow disease with U.S. beef. This program triggered months of protests that two million people participated in and almost toppled the current government.

President Lee Myung-bak saw his approval ratings dip below 10 percent in June 2008. Now, his ratings have bounced to 50 percent.

Making matters worse for the government, a court has recently cleared the program crew of any charges, but the government made no effort to hide its displeasure.

Kim Jae-chul is the latest in a series of nominations of pro-administration figures appointed to head the nation's TV stations.

In 2008, Koo Bon-hong, a former media advisor to the President, was appointed the head of 24-hour cable news network YTN. YTN unionists blocked him from entering the company building, causing the management to fire the union leaders. They were later reinstated by the court. Though Koo resigned last year, key positions remain occupied by pro-government figures.

KBS president Kim also met fierce opposition from unionists, but has settled for the job of leading the state-run broadcasting network.

Among the broadcasters currently headed by President Lee's aides are Sky Life, a digital satellite TV service provider; Arirang TV, an English-language TV network based in Seoul; and the Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corporation.

MBC President Ohm Ki-young resigned last month, protesting the government-controlled Foundation for Broadcast Culture for rejecting his operation plan. Rumors have it that Kim Jae-chul has presented a plan to merge local branches of the network as wished by the government.