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KCC chief referred to prosecution for breach of trust while MBC Daejeon president

Published: 19 Sep. 2025, 14:42

Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook answers a question from Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party during a parliamentary interpellation session on education, society and culture at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Sept. 18. [YONHAP]

Lee Jin-sook, the head of the Korea Communications Commission, was referred to prosecutors on Friday on charges of breach of trust over allegations that she used a company credit card for personal expenses while serving as president of broadcaster MBC's regional branch in Daejeon.

The Daejeon Yuseong Precinct sent Lee’s case to prosecutors Friday morning, the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Precinct said. Investigators allege Lee caused financial damage to Daejeon MBC between March 2015 and January 2018 by using the public broadcaster’s corporate card for personal purposes.

Police said the alleged misuse amounts to tens of millions of won and determined it took place during Lee’s entire tenure as Daejeon MBC president.

"We reviewed whether she violated the corporate card regulations, whether the spending was work-related at the time and whether proper procedures were followed," a police official said. "We decided not to pursue some allegations because the statute of limitations had expired."

Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook speaks at the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 9 about the government’s plan to abolish the agency and launch a new commission for broadcasting and media. [YONHAP]

The investigation began after lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee filed a complaint in July 2023, accusing Lee of breach of trust, violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and offering bribes.

Yuseong police later searched Daejeon MBC’s offices and corporate card records. Lee was questioned for the first time in July, a year after the complaint was filed, and sat for a total of four police interrogations through Sept. 6.

Lee repeatedly denied wrongdoing when speaking to reporters.

"[This investigation] has political motives. I have never used the corporate card for personal expenses," she said while appearing for questioning.

Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook addresses a full session of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee at the National Assembly in central Seoul on July 7. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

During the investigation, police seized internal audit materials from Daejeon MBC related to corporate card spending, which were produced around the time Lee stepped down as president in January 2018. Though the broadcaster’s internal audit results have not been disclosed, observers said the review suggested the allegations were already under scrutiny inside the company.

Lee has also taken to social media to respond to some of the accusations.

On Aug. 27, she posted a message titled "About Bread" on Facebook, disputing claims that she spent roughly 1 million won ($720) on bread just before stepping down. She called the allegations "vile political agitation."

“It was a time when Daejeon MBC was on strike, and I bought bread for the secretarial staff, custodians, security guards and drivers who were having a hard time,” she wrote.

“Despite these explanations, I have been ridiculed and labeled ‘Bread Jin-sook.’”

At a parliamentary session of the Public Administration and Security Committee on Sept. 5, Lee again defended herself.

“Politically motivated investigations can torment a person, but they cannot make me submit,” she said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN JIN-HO [[email protected]]