Dismissal Proposal for Pyo Wansu, Chairman of Korea Press Foundation, to Be Resolved at Board Meeting on 16th

Facing Dismissal Two Months Before Term Ends on October 18
Criticism That Leadership Has Been Damaged

The dismissal proposal for Pyo Wansu, chairman of the Korea Press Foundation, has been submitted as an agenda item for the foundation's board of directors. This is due to the leadership being compromised amid an ongoing investigation related to manipulation of government advertising indicators. Chairman Pyo's term is set to expire on October 18 of this year, placing him at the crossroads of dismissal about two months before the end of his term.

According to the media industry on the 10th, the Press Foundation notified board members that the dismissal proposal for Chairman Pyo will be presented as an agenda item for resolution at the 182nd board meeting scheduled for the 16th. There are two main reasons. First, the government advertising indicator changes implemented in 2021 have been criticized as 'manipulation,' leading to an investigation. Second, during an investigation into the nonprofit private organization support project itself, signs of lax management of subsidies were detected. This is also under investigation.

Pyo Wansu, Chairman of the Korea Press Foundation [Photo by Yonhap News]

The dismissal proposal requires a majority attendance of board members and a majority vote for approval. The board consists of nine members: Chairman Pyo, three standing directors, and five non-standing directors. However, Chairman Pyo, as the subject of the dismissal agenda, cannot exercise voting rights and is excluded from the count of attending directors. The dismissal will be finalized after the final approval of Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Previously, Minister Park pointed out issues with the leadership of the Korea Press Foundation, so if the dismissal proposal is approved, immediate approval is expected. On the 1st of this month, Minister Park summoned Chairman Pyo for a meeting and stated, "Due to the collapse of leadership, it is difficult to expect normal management of the Press Foundation," adding, "As the head of the supervisory agency, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is seeking and implementing extraordinary measures."

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