Lee Eun-woo, the former head of the Korea Policy Broadcasting (KTV), has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for instructing the removal of subtitles that criticized the constitutionality and legality of the martial law declared on December 3. On September 30, the Seoul High Court upheld the original ruling, maintaining a one-year prison sentence with a two-year probation for Lee, who was convicted of abuse of power.
The court dismissed appeals from both the defendant and the prosecution during the sentencing hearing. Lee was charged by the special prosecutor's team for directing KTV's news department head and editing team leader to selectively delete scrolling news subtitles that criticized the martial law between 1:47 a.m. and 4:04 a.m. on December 4, 2024.
The appellate court found Lee guilty on most counts, consistent with the first trial's verdict. Lee's defense argued that the subtitle removal was not relevant to the charges of inciting rebellion listed in the warrant, but the court rejected this claim.
The court stated, "Considering the intent and legal meaning of the newly established law on rebellion, it is difficult to argue that a separate specific relevance is required beyond the investigative criteria confirmed in the original ruling," affirming the first trial's guilty verdict.
The court also dismissed Lee's argument that KTV's unique status as a government promotional broadcaster exempted it from the fairness and objectivity standards mandated by broadcasting law. It noted, "Even if KTV was established to promote government policies, once it acquires the status of a broadcasting entity and airs news programs, it is obligated to comply with the fairness and balance requirements set forth by law and internal self-regulatory guidelines."
The court emphasized that selectively deleting critical positions on the contentious issue of martial law while retaining supportive views constituted an abuse of power that could not be considered a legitimate exercise of duty, as it favored the president who declared the martial law.
Additionally, the court did not accept Lee's claim that employees deleted the subtitles based on their own judgment in line with KTV's broadcasting policy. It pointed out that the news department head and editing team leader consistently testified that they acted under pressure and fear of repercussions from the investigation to comply with Lee's directives. The court concluded that there was a clear causal relationship between Lee's instructions and the subtitle deletions, affirming his intent.
While the court acknowledged Lee's lack of prior criminal history and KTV's unique role as a government policy promoter as mitigating factors, it also noted several aggravating circumstances. These included Lee's admission of responsibility during a National Assembly audit but denial of wrongdoing in court, his tendency to shift blame onto employees, and his lack of remorse during the appeal.
Separately, Lee is facing charges from the comprehensive special prosecutor's team for repeatedly promoting the legitimacy of the martial law and related insurrection activities through KTV news specials from December 3 to 13, 2024. The first hearing for this case took place on September 9.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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