| Country: | South Korea |
| Runtime: | 80 minutes |
| Network: | JTBC |
| Last Aired: | present |
| Language: | Korean |
| Developer: | JTBC Press Bureau |
| Opentheme: | Solo Battle by Lee Seung-hwan |
| Starring: | Park Joon-woo Cho Ik-shin Ryu Jeong-hwa Shin Hye-won Baek Da-hye |
| Genre: | News |
| Creator: | Kim Pil-kyu |
| Location: | South Korea |
| Presenter: | Lee Sang-bok |
| Alt Name: | Politics Desk Political Journalists' Meeting 다정회 |
| Camera: | Multiple-camera setup |
Political Desk is a South Korean news program airing on JTBC. It has a lighthearted, sometimes satirical, approach to political events in South Korea. It is presented by Lee Sang-bok, with Cho Ik-shin, Shin Hye-won, Ryu Jeong-hwa, Park Joon-woo and Baek Da-hye. It airs Monday to Friday at 16:30 KST.
Kim Pil-kyu had the idea of producing a political newscast, and he drew a cartoon about it, which was posted on the show's official Twitter account. Originally called Report! Political Meeting at 4:00, it premiered on April 7, 2014. It was presented by Choi Sang-yeon, with Oh Dae-young, Yang Won-bo, Nam Gung-wook and Lee Sung-dae on the panel representing the ruling party, National Assembly, the Blue House, and the opposition, respectively. Kim initially produced this show before being tapped to produce and host JTBC Newsroom's Fact Check segment later that year. He then became the main anchor of the show's weekend edition following Jeon Jin-bae's departure.
Starting July 2015, multiple reorganizations were held. Im So-ra replaced Blue House captain Nam Gung-wook on July 6, 2015. Opposition leader Lee Sung-dae followed suit 18 days later, and Kim Jung-ha joined as the new head of the National Assembly, replacing Yang Won-bo who moved to Lee's vacated position. Announcer Kang Ji-young also joined the show on July 13, 2015, as a fixed member, hosting the segment Kang Ji-young's Talk Shooting Politics. Yang then stepped down on September 24, leading Yoo Sang-wook to join as the show's new opposition leader. Lee Sang-bok joined the show as its new anchor/moderator on December 14, replacing Choi Sang-yeon, who joined JoongAng Ilbo as one of its new editorial writers. As of this reorganization, only Oh Dae-young was the original member to be on the show. It was later revamped to Political Desk around the end of the year.
2016 also saw multiple reshuffles on the captains' assignments. Oh Dae-young, the program's only remaining original member, stepped down on the broadcast on July 8, along with Kim Jung-ha who was then the head of the National Assembly. Yang Won-bo returned to his original role vacated by Kim on July 11, while Jung Kang-hyun replaces Oh who was the leader of the ruling party. Jung was the head of JoongAng Ilbo's youth reporting team before joining the program. Later that year, Yoo Sang-wook also departed from his role as opposition leader after he was appointed the head of Social Issues team 2. Choi Jong-hyuk replaces him starting December 21.
The first reshuffle of the year happened following the 2017 South Korean presidential elections. Then-opposition leader Choi Jong-hyuk and then-ruling party leader Jung Kang-hyun swapped places on May 10, 2017, at Lee Sang-bok's request, making it the first power switch since the show's inception. According to National Assembly captain Yang Won-bo, Jung seemed bitter about giving up his position to Choi, who was the show's youngest member at the time. Another change in its set and graphics happened on November 6, 2017, which was used until May 15, 2020. Towards the end of the year, Shin Hye-won joins the show as its new Blue House captain, replacing Im So-ra who left the show on December 8.
July 13 saw the introduction of new opposition leader Go Suk-seung, who replaced Jung Kang-hyun following his departure. This year also saw Lee Sang-bok ascend to his new role as JTBC News' press director on November 20, officially replacing his title as director of the second politics division on the broadcast subtitles.
Park Sung-tae and Cho Ik-shin joined the cast on January 6, 2020, following the departure of Lee Sang-bok and Yang Won-bo. Lee left to focus more on his role as press director due to the 2020 South Korean legislative elections, while Yang became the new general manager for JTBC News' policy team. Park eventually left on May 15, 2020, after over four months of hosting the show. It also became the show's last broadcast to be anchored from the open studio inside Trust Building. Choi Jong-hyuk teased towards the end that Lee Sang-bok might be making his return to the show after he did a reverse triangle gesture that became popular and was used on its opening IDs during his tenure. Park will now be JTBC Newsroom's new weekend editor. In addition, they will be moving to a new studio inside Creation Hall just beside it, and the open studio they used was renovated to be used by Scandal Supervisor. Lee Sang-bok made his official return to the show on May 18, 2020, while also debuting the show's new set and graphics package. Kang Ji-young's sole segment Talk Shooting Politics was abolished on the same day and replaced with On-site Briefing, promoting her as the show's on-site captain. Lee's former segment One-cut Politics made a return on the same day, along with Shin's Political School returning on June 3, 2020. It also established two new segments for each captain slowly, starting with Shin Hye-won (Minute Call-Call, New World), Choi Jong-hyuk (Check It Out, A Song For Something), Cho Ik-shin (Oh My Gosh, What's Wrong With You, Cho's Unanswered Questions) and Go Suk-seung (Ancient People, go! go! Sing!). There is also Dajeonghwe Theater, a segment where the captains work together for a skit. Starting on July 20, 2020, Yang becomes the first Political Desk member to have his own show with the premiere of . Captains Choi Jong-hyuk (ruling party) and Go Suk-seung (opposition) left the show on December 4, 2020, following another JTBC News large-scale reorganization. They will be replaced by Ryu Jeong-hwa and Park Joon-woo, respectively.[1]
Starting on May 17, 2021, the show migrated back to Trust Building to prepare for the large-scale JTBC News reorganization scheduled on June 7. Kang Ji-young's Field Briefing segment ended on May 18, 2021,marking her final day as part of the cast. She will be joining JTBC's new show Ssulzun Live with fellow alumni Park Sung-tae and Lee Sung-dae, prompting Baek Da-hye to replace her as sub-anchor. This will also mark their first major format change since its inception, with segments being catered to each captain's characters in the show and the captain titles being abolished entirely.[2]
The show's format is more lighthearted in approach than its other newscasts such as JTBC Newsroom, however, it took a more serious turn as Park Sung-tae became anchor/moderator. It is presented in the style of a meeting, as if to plan for a broadcast. The captains sometimes add jokes in their respective presentations, and tease each other, including Lee Sang-bok.
The opening theme is Lee Seung-hwan's Solo War, from his 2010 album Dreamizer. When he appeared on the third season of Hidden Singer, he expressed interest in the format of Political Desk and decided to let them use the song. Lee picked the song himself because of its rock sound and lyrical meaning.[3]
The fixed segments are those which appear regularly on the program, or are regular segments of the main anchor and field captain. The recurring segments are only added in by the captains for fun.
Political Desk premiered on April 7, 2014, hosted by Choi Sang-yeon, featuring Nam Gung-wook as Blue House captain, Yang Won-bo as head of the National Assembly, Oh Dae-young as head of the ruling party, and Lee Sung-dae as head of the opposition. Currently, the cast consists of anchor/moderator Lee Sang-bok, with Shin Hye-won, Cho Ik-shin, Ryu Jeong-hwa and Park Joon-woo representing the Blue House, National Assembly, ruling party and the opposition, respectively.
| Role | Name | Duration | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Desk Director-General (정치부회의 국장) | 최상연 | April 7, 2014—December 11, 2015 | Deputy Director of Political Affairs, Press Production Bureau (보도제작국 정치담당 부국장) | He is now at JoongAng Ilbo's editorial committee. |
| style="text-align:center;" 이상복 | December 14, 2015—January 3, 2020 May 18, 2020—present | Expert Committee Member (전문위원) (2020–present) | The oldest of the cast, Lee has been teased by the captains for his signature hand gesture that made it become a staple in the show's opening IDs. He was a correspondent based in Washington before becoming the director for JTBC News' second political division (now named the Political Desk team) and later, the bureau's press director. He stepped down on January 3, 2020, to focus on the upcoming elections, but later returned on May 18, 2020, as he got promoted to JoongAng Media Holdings' executive committee. He is a big fan of boy band BTS, specifically Jimin, to which the captains (especially Yang Won-bo) tease him a lot for. | |
박성태 | January 6, 2020—May 15, 2020 | Political Desk Team Leader (정치부회의팀장) | Before becoming Lee Sang-bok's successor, he was a popular fixture on JTBC Newsroom's Behind the News segment. Once he took the anchor chair, however, he was criticized by viewers for being too serious. He is currently a weekend editor and a part of the Issue Checkers in Newsroom. | |
| News Checker (뉴스체커) | 남궁욱 | April 7, 2014—July 6, 2015 | Reporter, Politics Division (정치부 기자) | He is currently JTBC's political editor and leader of the political team. |
임소라 | July 7, 2015—December 8, 2017 | Reporter, Second Politics Division (정치2부 기자) | Im has filled in for JTBC Newsroom with Lee Sang-bok during the 2017 Chuseok holiday and is currently a reporter for the policy team, as well as a fill-in anchor. Im also became a regular on, where she joined fellow alumnus Yang Won-bo during Tuesdays. She is currently on the policy team, serving as the head of the coronavirus reporting team. | |
| style="text-align:center;" 신혜원 | December 11, 2017—present | Reporter, Political Desk Team (정치부회의팀 기자) (2019–present) | Shin joined the show as its new Blue House captain after Im So-ra left on December 8, 2017, and is currently one of the show's youngest captains. Her MBTI personality type is ENTP. | |
| Political Mentor (정치멘토) | 양원보 | April 7, 2014—July 24, 2015; July 11, 2016—January 3, 2020 (as National Assembly captain)July 27, 2015—September 11, 2015 (as opposition leader) | Reporter, Political Desk Team (정치부회의팀 기자) (2019-2020) | He was originally the National Assembly captain but became the opposition leader when Lee Sung-dae left, making Kim Jung-ha assume his vacated position. He then returned to his original position on July 11, 2016, staying there until January 3, 2020. He is known among fans of the show as the Minion because of his similar appearance to the animated characters. He is currently the deputy general manager of JTBC News' policy team and previously led the coronavirus reporting team. He is now the host of Scandal Supervisor, coming from his solo program and JTBC Newsroom segment Won-broadcast. |
김정하 | July 27, 2015—July 8, 2016 | Reporter, Second Politics Division (정치2부 기자) | During Political Desk, he was Deputy General Manager of JTBC's Political Affairs Division. He's currently JoongAng Ilbo's Political Director, as well as International Affairs Director. | |
| January 6, 2020—present | Reporter, Political Desk Team (정치부회의팀 기자) (2020–present) | Currently the oldest of the cast, Cho is a former correspondent from JTBC News' first political division, and has appeared on the show during its early days as the interim National Assembly captain. His MBTI personality type is ENFP. | ||
| Situation Manager (상황실장) | 오대영 | April 7, 2014—July 8, 2016 | Reporter, Second Politics Division (정치2부 기자) | He hosted JTBC Newsroom's Fact Check segment from 2016 to 2019 and previously led the social issue and legal teams. He is also a frequent anchor for breaking news. He is currently Newsroom's main anchor, succeeding Seo Bok-hyun. |
| style="text-align:center;" 최종혁 | December 21, 2016—May 9, 2017 (as opposition leader)May 10, 2017—December 4, 2020 (as ruling party leader) | Reporter, Political Desk Team (정치부회의팀 기자) (2019-2020) | One of the show's youngest captains, Choi's outlandish antics make him the show's resident psycho. He's a fan of girl groups Twice and Red Velvet, even referencing it during the 2017 reorganization teaser. He originally joined the show as its opposition leader and youngest member, but became the ruling party leader at Lee Sang-bok's suggestion after Moon Jae-in was elected president, changing roles with then-ruling party leader Jung Kang-hyun. His MBTI personality type is ISFJ. He is now on the political team and hosts the Newsroom segment Back Briefing, succeeding Kim So-hyun. | |
| December 7, 2020—present | Reporter, Political Desk Team (정치부회의팀 기자) (2020–present) | She was previously a reporter for the international diplomacy and security team and has also filled in for other captains, such as Shin Hye-won. A viewer called her the second Jang Sung-kyu because of her crazy sense of humor. She is also the smallest of the cast. | ||
| Markman (마크맨) | 이성대 | April 7, 2014—July 24, 2015 | Reporter, Politics Division (정치부 기자) | He was the original host of JTBC Newsroom's Behind the News segment, and later became a Blue House reporter during the Moon administration. He was often a host on Social Lives and teases Newsroom anchor Sohn Suk-hee. He's currently one of the deputy general managers of the political team, once sharing it with former opposition leader Jung Kang-hyun. |
유상욱 | September 24, 2015—December 20, 2016 | Reporter, Second Politics Division (정치2부 기자) | He is currently JTBC News' economic policy editor and leader of the policy team. | |
정강현 | July 11, 2016—May 9, 2017 (as ruling party leader)May 10, 2017—July 13, 2018 (as opposition leader) | Reporter, Second Politics Division (정치2부 기자) | Jung was originally the ruling party leader, but switched places with then-opposition leader Choi Jong-hyuk at Lee Sang-bok's suggestion after Moon Jae-in was elected president. According to National Assembly captain Yang Won-bo, he seemed bitter about giving his position to Choi, who was then the show's youngest member. He's considered the show's no-jam character. His vast reporting experience was referenced on the 2017 reorganization teaser, as he was previously a culture reporter and JoongAng Ilbo's youth reporting team director before joining the show. He was one of the deputy general managers of the political team, sharing it with original opposition leader Lee Sung-dae. He is currently in training in the United States. | |
| style="text-align:center;" 고석승 | July 16, 2018—-December 4, 2020 | Reporter, Political Desk Team (정치부회의팀 기자) (2019-2020) | He's been frequently teased by the captains for being the no-jam character of the show, succeeding Jung Kang-hyun. He was a former host in JTBC Newsroom's segment Close Camera with fellow correspondents Ahn Ji-hyun and Park So-yeon before coming back on December 10, 2020, when he moved to the mobile issue team. His MBTI personality type is ESFJ. | |
| December 7, 2020—present | Reporter, Political Desk Team (정치부회의팀 기자) (2020–present) | He's previously a reporter for the mobile issue team. | ||
| Breaking News Captain (속보반장) | style="text-align:center;" 강지영 | July 13, 2015—June 4, 2021 | Sub-anchor (서브 앵커) (2015-2020) | When Kang first joined the show, she was in charge of 40-second news. She then became a sub-anchor and fixed member in the show, hosting the segment Talk Shooting Politics from 2016 to 2020. She was then promoted to field captain on May 18, 2020, after her first Field Briefing segment. She was the longest-staying member of the show and the youngest of the cast. She is currently co-hosting Ssulzun Live with fellow Political Desk alumni Park Sung-tae and Lee Sung-dae. |
| June 7, 2021—present |
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| Name | Duration | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
송지영 | April 7, 2014—unknown | It is unknown when she left JTBC, but she was involved in a controversy where she posted malicious comments regarding the CEO of a wedding consulting firm on various sites, accusing the club of giving them "bad-looking" albums despite acting on the complaint. | |
한윤지 | October 6, 2014—October 28, 2014 January 26, 2015—February 6, 2015 | She had a short stint on the show where she covered the National Assembly's audit and inspection sites, which became popular with viewers. She then had to fill in for both Lee Sung-dae and Yang Won-bo during their respective vacations before becoming a sub-anchor on the weekday edition of JTBC Newsroom. |
| 2014 | April 7 | 16:00-17:00 KST | First broadcast as Report! Political Meeting at 4:00 | |
| June 16 | 15:30-17:00 KST | Timeslot change, runtime extension to 90 minutes, lead-in to first part of JTBC News Site | ||
| July 7 | 16:00-17:20 KST | Timeslot change, runtime reduction to 80 minutes | ||
| September 22 | 17:10-18:30 KST | Timeslot change, lead-in to JTBC Newsroom's premiere | ||
| 2018 | April 16 | 17:10-18:25 KST | Runtime reduction to 75 minutes | |
| 2019 | November 4 | 17:00-18:20 KST | Timeslot change, runtime extension to 80 minutes | |
| 2020 | December 7 | 18:20-19:40 KST | Timeslot change | |
| 2021 | June 7 | 16:30-18:00 KST | Timeslot change, runtime extension to 90 minutes |