Lee Jin-sook, the chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), is responding at the second hearing concerning broadcast domination, including the illegal appointment of a board director to the Foundation for Broadcast Culture (FBC), at the National Assembly’s Science, ICT and Broadcasting and Communications Committee on August 14 last year. On the left is Kim Tae-kyu, the vice chairman of the KCC. / Reporter Lee Deok-hoon
On the 13th, the Supreme Court confirmed a decision to suspend the execution related to the KCC’s appointment of six new directors for the FBC, the major shareholder of MBC.
The Supreme Court’s second division (Chief Justice Park Young-jae) dismissed the KCC’s re-appeal against the suspension order regarding the appointment of FBC directors without a hearing, confirming the second instance decision.
Previously, on their first day in office on July 31 last year, Chairperson Lee Jin-sook and Vice Chairman Kim Tae-kyu appointed Kim Dong-ryul, Son Jeong-mi, Yoon Gil-yong, Lee Woo-yong, Im Mu-young, and Heo Ik-beom as the new FBC directors. According to the Korea Communications Commission Act, the KCC comprises five standing committee members who can convene meetings and make major decisions if requested by two or more members.
In response, Kwon Tae-seon, chairman of the FBC, and others filed a lawsuit for invalidation of the appointments and requested a suspension of execution, asking to halt the appointments to prevent the new director appointments from taking effect. If the appointments are suspended or invalidated, the current directors, including Chairman Kwon, can continue their roles even after their terms end.
The first instance court ruled in August last year that it was difficult to see that the KCC had sufficiently demonstrated compliance with procedures in appointing new directors and decided to suspend the execution. The second appeals court maintained this suspension decision in November of the same year. With the Supreme Court’s decision to confirm the suspension, Chairman Kwon and others continued their duties.