Lee Jin-sook, the nominee to head South Korea's broadcasting watchdog, was appointed by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday despite protest from opposition parties over her alleged misuse of corporate funds in the past.

Lee, a former journalist at public television network MBC, reported to work at the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) at the government complex in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, after being officially appointed.

The newly appointed KCC chief underwent a rare three-day confirmation hearing last week amid accusations she used her former positions at MBC to suppress the company's labor union and misuse corporate cards.

During her time in the press, Lee was recognized for her expertise on the Middle East and her title as the country's "first female war correspondent" for reporting on the 1990-91 Gulf War and the Iraq War.

Along with Lee, Kim Tae-gyu, vice chairperson of the state-run Anti-corruption & Civil Rights Commission, was also appointed as a member of the KCC's standing committee.

The five-member KCC standing committee had remained vacant after former chairperson Kim Hong-il and subsequent acting chairperson Lee Sang-in voluntarily resigned after a move by the main opposition Democratic Party to impeach the former KCC leadership.

The opposition has accused the former KCC chiefs under the Yoon administration of unfairly running the watchdog's decision-making standing committee, making decisions with two members while leaving the other three out of the total five positions vacant.

The watchdog holds the key to decisions on broadcasting stations, including the appointment of a new president at major TV network MBC.

Industry watchers expect Lee to convene a standing committee meeting later in the day to appoint new directors at the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, a supervisory body and the major shareholder of MBC. (Yonhap)