KT will announce 3 to 4 finalists on Dec. 9 for the last round of interviews to select its next CEO.
According to the industry that day, the KT director nomination committee will conduct interviews for the next CEO candidates online and remotely that day. The online interviews will use a video conferencing solution, and eight outside directors will attend the director nomination committee.
The seven who advanced to the interviews are: former KT Skylife President Kim Cheol-su; former Seoul Metro President Kim Tae-ho; former KT CS President Nam Kyu-taek; former KT head of the corporations division President Park Yun-young; KT head of the customer division Lee Hyun-seok; former presidential office economic adviser Joo Hyeong-cheol; and former SK shieldus President Hong Won-pyo.
Except for candidate Joo Hyeong-cheol, the remaining six are all from within KT. The only current executive is head of the customer division Lee Hyun-seok.
Earlier, the KT director nomination committee said that as a result of the open recruitment for CEO candidates held from the 4th to the 16th of last month, a total of 33 candidates, including in-house candidates and those recommended by professional institutions, were formed as the pool of CEO candidates. Then, through a selection advisory panel until the 21st of last month, the committee narrowed the list to 16. On the 2nd, it reduced the 16 to seven. The final interviews will be held on the 16th with the 3 to 4 candidates decided that day, and one final candidate will be chosen that day.
Meanwhile, the KT labor union is strongly demanding that an internal candidate be appointed. In a recent statement, the KT union said, "The next CEO must be free from outside interference, have both telecommunications expertise and management capability, and be someone who has the support of the members," adding, "We cannot tolerate parachute appointments. The director nomination committee must completely free itself from the influence of political circles and outside forces."