Incheon Airport Corporation President Koo Bon-hwan Finally Dismissed... Leaves as of Today

Likely Acting President Vice Chairman Im Namsu System
Legal Response Announced... Attention on This Year's National Assembly Audit

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] Koo Bon-hwan, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, has finally been dismissed.

According to Incheon Airport Corporation on the 29th, the corporation received a dismissal notice for President Koo from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport around 8 p.m. the previous day. This came just four days after the dismissal proposal was approved by the Public Institution Management Committee under the Ministry of Strategy and Finance on the 24th, swiftly completing procedures such as ministerial recommendation and presidential approval.

Accordingly, President Koo left Incheon Airport Corporation as of that day, leaving about half of his fixed three-year term remaining. The airport corporation stated, "There will be no separate farewell ceremony or event."

The reasons for President Koo's dismissal include inadequate response to the typhoon crisis, false reporting of actions, and violation of duty of loyalty such as undermining fairness in personnel management. However, inside and outside the airport, the dominant interpretation is that he was effectively caught in the fallout of the 'In-guk-gong incident.' President Koo himself has opposed the dismissal reasons presented by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stating that "these do not constitute grounds for dismissal."

Vice President and Head of Management Division Lim Nam-soo is being mentioned as the interim leader of Incheon Airport Corporation after President Koo's departure. A corporation official explained, "Although there has been no separate appointment yet, we expect the appointment of an acting officer to proceed soon."

Meanwhile, controversy is expected to continue even after the dismissal. President Koo has also announced legal action, claiming that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's audit procedures were illegal. In particular, regarding this year's National Assembly audit, President Koo stated, "If I am called as a witness to the National Assembly audit, I will speak all facts truthfully without hiding anything."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.