Lee Jae-myung Accepts Court Ruling on KBS Board Dismissals

President Lee Waives Appeal in KBS Board Appointment Case

President Lee Jae-myung has decided not to appeal a court ruling that invalidated the appointments of seven board members at Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), today, February 3, 2026. The decision comes after the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the appointments, made under the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration, were procedurally flawed.

Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the withdrawal of the appeal, stating that the decision was made “in respect of the court ruling’s intent.” According to the spokesperson, President Lee submitted the notice of appeal waiver to the first-instance court handling the case.

The court’s ruling, delivered on January 22, 2025, found that the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), now the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission, failed to meet quorum requirements when recommending the seven new board members. Specifically, the court determined that the KCC held a plenary session on July 31, 2024, with only two of its five statutory commission members present – Chairperson Lee Jin-suk and Vice Chairperson Kim Tae-kyu – violating the necessary procedures.

The appointments in question concerned the seats allocated to the then-ruling People Power Party among the 11 KBS board positions. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol immediately approved the appointments following the KCC’s recommendation.

The court’s judgment highlighted that the KCC’s recommendation resolution was invalid due to the significant procedural defects. The ruling stated that the commission was operating with three of its five positions vacant, failing to satisfy the required quorum for a valid decision.

This decision follows a similar move by President Lee in July 2025, when he withdrew the government’s appeal in the dismissal lawsuit of former KBS President Kim Eui-cheol. The Seoul Administrative Court had previously ruled that Kim’s dismissal by former President Yoon was an abuse of discretion and therefore invalid. Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung at the time emphasized President Lee’s commitment to respecting court decisions and correcting actions taken by the previous administration.

President Lee also dropped the appeal regarding the dismissal of former KBS Chairman Nam Young-jin, reportedly citing similar concerns about procedural fairness.

The Seoul High Court recently received records from the Supreme Court concerning an election law case against Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, January 30, 2026. The Supreme Court had remanded Lee’s case for a retrial after finding fault with a previous ruling that acquitted him of allegedly lying as a presidential candidate.