Court Rules Unlawful Dismissal of Former Broadcasting Commission Officials

On July 17, 2025, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the dismissal of Jeong Yeon-joo (정연주), the former chairperson of the Korea Communications Standards Commission, and Lee Kwang-bok (이광복), the former vice-chairperson, by former President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열) in 2023 was unjust. The court ordered the cancellation of the dismissal decisions made by the president.

The Korea Communications Commission had conducted an audit in August 2023 regarding the use of government subsidies, which revealed that both officials had not adhered to their working hours and had misused operational funds. Based on these findings, President Yoon approved their dismissals later that month.

The audit showed that between August 2021 and May 2023, Jeong arrived at work after 9 AM on 78 occasions and left before 6 PM on 270 days. Lee, during the same period, arrived after 9 AM on 297 days and left before 6 PM on 267 days.

With their terms set to expire in July 2024, Jeong and Lee contested their dismissals, claiming they were baseless, and filed an administrative lawsuit.

The court sided with the former officials, noting procedural flaws in the dismissal process. It stated that the president failed to provide prior notice and a hearing before the dismissals, which constituted a significant procedural error.

Furthermore, the court found the reasons for their dismissal to be unjustified. Regarding the claim of poor work attitude, the court stated that without clear regulations, it was difficult to assess their arrival and departure times as a violation of their duties.

As for the alleged misuse of operational funds, while the court acknowledged that the officials had improperly documented attendance and purchased alcohol with operational funds during business meals, it concluded that these actions did not significantly undermine public trust in the commission.

In a statement following the ruling, Jeong expressed gratitude to the court for its fair judgment and reflected on the past actions of Yoon's administration, hoping that this ruling would contribute to restoring the integrity of broadcasting in South Korea.