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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Sangjin] The Seoul Administrative Court ruled on the 10th that the broadcasting regulator's (KCC) legal sanctions against MBC were invalid, siding with MBC in two lawsuits the broadcaster filed against the KCC's penalty decisions.
The court found in favor of MBC in both cases, which challenged the KCC's legal actions. The KCC had imposed sanctions on MBC for allegedly problematic broadcasts, including an interview with Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-rim from NewsTapa, as well as coverage of the exclusion from the presidential aircraft. The court determined that the KCC had violated procedural rules in issuing the penalties.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) had initially issued a warning to MBC in October 2023 after it cited Kim Man-bae’s voice recordings during a broadcast of the program "Kim Jong-bae’s Focus" on MBC Radio. Another warning was issued for the broadcaster’s coverage of the exclusion from the presidential aircraft, claiming that MBC presented a biased stance.
In January 2024, the KCC confirmed the sanctions. MBC, disagreeing with the decisions, filed a lawsuit in February seeking to cancel the sanctions and applied for an injunction to halt the enforcement of the penalties.
The court's ruling acknowledged the procedural violations in the KCC's actions, and the KCC is now reviewing the possibility of an appeal.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim SangJin(letyou@alphabiz.co.kr)
