KBS President Improperly Rejected Audit Department Personnel Changes Nine Times

KBS President has been warned by the Board of Audit and Inspection for improperly rejecting requests to change the head of the audit department nine times without justifiable reasons.
 
On October 7, the Board of Audit and Inspection released the results of an audit regarding the KBS President's infringement on audit independence.
 
An auditor at KBS, identified as A, filed for a stay of execution against the appointment of auditor B, who was appointed by the two-member Korea Communications Commission. In June of last year, the appellate court granted this request, allowing A to return to the audit role. A then requested the KBS President to replace five heads of the audit department, as requested by B, on nine occasions.
 
However, the KBS President rejected all requests, citing that the related case was pending in the Supreme Court. Even after the Supreme Court upheld the stay request in September of last year, the KBS President continued to deny the replacement requests.
 
The Board of Audit and Inspection stated, "There is a risk that the intent of the audit job regulations, which stipulate that personnel changes in the audit department should follow the audit's request, may be compromised," and urged the KBS President to take caution.
 
It was also found that the previous KBS President transferred three heads of the audit department to other departments without the audit's request in February 2024. Although the court granted a stay of execution on the transfers, allowing them to return, the newly appointed heads remained in place, resulting in three departments, each with a head count of one, being managed by two individuals for about eight months.
 
As a result, inefficiencies and confusion arose, with two heads reviewing approximately 100 routine audits each month. The Board of Audit and Inspection has advised the KBS President to avoid exceeding the authorized number of heads in the audit department.
 
However, the Board of Audit and Inspection only audited two matters related to personnel changes in the audit department from the public audit request and concluded that there was no need for further investigation into the President's broader claims of infringing on audit independence and obstructing audits.