Audit Board on "Ryu Heelim Orchestrated Complaints" Allegation: "Circumstantial Signs Found, But No Evidence to Draw a Definitive Conclusion"

Complaints Filed Simultaneously by Family Members and Acquaintances
"Participating in Deliberation and Decision-Making Despite Knowing of Son's Complaint Constitutes a Conflict of Interest Violation"

The Board of Audit and Inspection concluded that while there were circumstantial indications regarding the so-called "orchestrated civil complaints" allegation involving former Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) Chairperson Ryu Heelim, it is "difficult to definitively conclude that there was an act of orchestration." However, the Board determined that former Chairperson Ryu violated the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act by taking part in deliberation and resolution related to the civil complaints even after recognizing that his son had filed one of the complaints. It requested that the KCSC take necessary measures, including notifying the competent court, so that a penalty surcharge can be imposed.

Yonhap News Agency

On the 4th, the Board of Audit and Inspection released the results of its audit titled "Audit related to the allegation of orchestrating and concealing civil complaints by the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Standards Commission," which contained these key findings. This audit was conducted after the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee requested an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection on March 13 last year regarding five issues, including allegations that the KCSC Chairperson orchestrated and concealed civil complaints.

According to the audit report, 157 related civil complaints (filed by 65 complainants) were received between September 4, 2023 and the end of that month. The Board of Audit and Inspection found that among them were 11 family members and acquaintances of former Chairperson Ryu, including 6 relatives within the fourth degree of kinship and 5 acquaintances such as colleagues from the same organization.

The Board stated that it confirmed circumstantial indications of "orchestrated civil complaints," such as family members and acquaintances filing civil complaints with similar content all at once during the same time period. However, it determined that it was difficult to conclude that orchestrating acts had occurred, because no testimony or physical evidence supporting orchestration was found, despite investigating how the complaints were filed, reviewing how the KCSC handled the matters, and conducting digital forensics on the computers of those involved.

Yonhap News Agency

Regarding the conflict-of-interest issue, the Board of Audit and Inspection stated that it judged former Chairperson Ryu to have specifically recognized, around late December 2023, that his son and other relatives subject to reporting and recusal had filed civil complaints. Nevertheless, former Chairperson Ryu attended the Standing Committee on February 1, 2024 and took part in deliberation and resolution on related agenda items without going through the reporting and recusal procedures, and the Board concluded that this constituted a violation of the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act.

The Board also stated that it recognized as fact that former Chairperson Ryu committed perjury multiple times in the National Assembly, even after being briefed by his subordinate on the fact that his younger sibling had filed a civil complaint. However, it added that it did not confirm any act of instructing the subordinate to commit perjury.

The report also included criticism that the KCSC’s internal audit had been inadequate. The Board of Audit and Inspection found that, when the KCSC conducted its own audit after receiving the conflict-of-interest case involving former Chairperson Ryu, it failed to collect and examine evidence that was both essential and obtainable for establishing the facts, and nonetheless reached a conclusion of "unable to judge." It recognized this as poor performance and requested a "caution" measure against two persons involved.

As for the allegation that former Chairperson Ryu engaged in "retaliatory acts" against staff members who had criticized him, the Board stated that no testimony or physical evidence supporting the allegation was found, and that no illegality, such as a violation of regulations, was identified in the related personnel measures, so the matter was closed.

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