Former Wavve CEO Lee Tae-hyun Chosen as KBS President, Prevailing in Three-Way Race

Veteran content producer poised to lead KBS as its 28th president

'KBS' has selected former 'Content Wavve' CEO 'Lee Tae-hyun' as its final candidate for the next president. As the public broadcaster faces a major turning point, attention is focused on whether an executive with experience in both content planning and management can bring fresh leadership.

The 'KBS Board of Directors' held a special meeting on the 20th and conducted in-depth final interviews with three candidates: Lee, former KBS Media CEO Kim Young-sam, and Eom Kyung-cheol, a former head of KBS's Busan regional headquarters who is currently with the KBS TV License Fee Bureau. After the interviews, the board held a vote and said it had selected Lee as its candidate to be recommended for appointment as the '28th president'. Earlier, on the 17th, 'KBS' accelerated the selection process by narrowing five applicants down to three finalists for interviews with the board at a meeting of the President Candidate Recommendation Committee.

All 10 sitting directors attended the board meeting, joined by newly appointed directors Lee Kang-deok and Jang Han-sik, who were recommended by the People Power Party. The two directors, however, raised procedural objections and strongly called for a delay in the vote. When no agreement was reached, they left the meeting just before voting began. In the subsequent vote, Lee secured the support of 'at least three-fifths' of the sitting directors and was selected as the final candidate.

The selected candidate, 'Lee Tae-hyun', graduated from Korea University with a degree in philosophy and began his broadcasting career in 1994 as a producer at 'KBS'. He later served as 'head of KBS's Content Business Bureau', CEO of 'Content Wavve', one of South Korea's leading homegrown OTT platforms, and CEO of the Hanam Cultural Foundation. He is regarded as having broad experience, from hands-on production work to managing large organizations.

Following the board's decision to recommend him for appointment as the next president, Lee will undergo a rigorous review at a 'National Assembly confirmation hearing'. If the Assembly adopts a report on the confirmation hearing and the president gives final approval, he will officially begin his term as head of 'KBS'.

The new president's term is set at 'three years', and relevant laws allow one reappointment.