On the First Day of Appointment, Broadcasting Commissioner Lee Jin-sook Accused of Misusing Corporate Credit Card and Reported to Prosecution

Allegations of Breach of Duty During Tenure as President of Daejeon MBC

During the National Assembly confirmation hearing, Lee Jin-suk, the newly appointed Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, who faced allegations of 'corporate card misuse' including private use near her home on holidays, was reported to the prosecution on her first day in office.

On the 31st, the Korean Federation of Media Workers' Unions, the Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media, and the Korean Progressive Alliance held a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and announced that they would report Chairperson Lee to the prosecution on charges of breach of trust in the course of duty.

Members of organizations such as the National Union of Media Workers and the Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media are entering the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 31st to file a complaint against Lee Jin-sook, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission. From left to right: Lee Ho-chan, Head of the MBC branch of the Media Union; Yoon Chang-hyun, Chairperson of the Media Union; Shin Mi-hee, Secretary-General of the Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media; and Lee Hee-young, lawyer.

In the complaint, they stated, "Chairperson Lee caused damage to the company by repeatedly using the corporate card of the president and other department corporate cards for private purposes while serving as president of Daejeon Munhwa Broadcasting (Daejeon MBC) from March 2015 to January 2018."

They claimed that Chairperson Lee spent 142.79 million won using the corporate card during her tenure, and "there is strong evidence that she frequently used the corporate card for personal purposes at luxury hotels, high-end restaurants, entertainment establishments, golf courses, and near her home on weekends and holidays."

Additionally, the complaint reportedly included suspicions that Chairperson Lee exceeded the corporate card limit, used it after submitting her resignation letter, and purchased a large quantity of wine worth approximately 15.59 million won for entertaining affiliated companies, all of which should be investigated.

The 'Joint Action to Prevent Media Takeover,' composed of about 90 organizations including the reporting groups, plans to hold a press conference condemning Chairperson Lee's appointment in front of the Korea Communications Commission at the Government Complex Gwacheon this afternoon.

During the confirmation hearing, Chairperson Lee stated regarding the corporate card misuse allegations, "I used it within the given limit and in accordance with internal regulations, and the detailed evidence was handled by the staff."