The court did not accept the application filed by the current KBS board members classified as opposition, requesting to suspend the effectiveness of the appointment of the new board members. As a result, the seven new KBS board members were able to begin their terms.
On the 13th, the Administrative Division 12 of the Seoul Administrative Court, led by Director General Kang Jae-won, rejected the request for a stay of execution filed by KBS board members Kim Chan-tae, Ryu Il-hyung, Lee Sang-yo, Jeong Jae-kwon, and Jo Suk-hyeon against the Korea Communications Commission, stating they wanted to suspend the effectiveness of the KBS new board member recommendations and the confirmations by President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The judiciary stated, "It is difficult to view that the interpretation regarding the validity of recommendations by two incumbent committee members of the Korea Communications Commission was established to the degree that there was no contention; even if there was a flaw in that regard, it cannot be conclusively deemed serious or objectively clear," adding that "if the effectiveness of this appointment decision were to be suspended, it could be considered to fall under conditions that pose a significant concern for public welfare."
As a result, the seven new KBS board members, including Kwon Soon-beom, Ryu Hyun-soon, former head of the Korea Policy Broadcasting Institute, Seo Gi-seok, chairman, Lee Geon, vice president of Women's Newspaper, Lee In-cheol, attorney, Heo Yeob, vice chair of the Rating Review Committee, and Hwang Seong-wook, former standing member of the Korea Communications Standards Commission, were able to carry out their duties. The Korea Communications Commission stated, "We respect the court's ruling" upon the decision to reject.
Earlier, the Korea Communications Commission voted to recommend the seven new KBS board members on July 31 last year, and President Yoon confirmed it the next day. Subsequently, the current KBS directors filed a lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of the new board members' appointments, stating, "The only two recommendations for new board members were made by the president-appointed Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook and Vice Chairperson Kim Tae-kyu, which lacks legal validity and is therefore null and void."
Meanwhile, the same court accepted a stay of execution request filed last August by Kwon Tae-sun, chairman of the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Association (KBP), which is the major shareholder of MBC, against the appointment of new board members.