Defense media agency chief fired for allegedly abusing editorial authority

The Ministry of National Defense building in Seoul's Yongsan District / Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-suk

The defense ministry on Thursday fired the head of the state defense media agency over allegations that he abused his editorial authority, officials said.

Chae Il, former chief of Defense Media Agency / Yonhap

The dismissal of Chae Il, chief of the Defense Media Agency, followed a decision Wednesday by the Central Disciplinary Committee over allegations that he abused his editorial authority, imposed unfair personnel actions on his staff and engaged in workplace bullying, the ministry said in a notice to reporters.

A former aide to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chae has faced criticism over political neutrality in coverage by a newspaper published by the agency, particularly in reports involving President Lee Jae Myung and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back. Chae was appointed to lead the agency in May 2023.

His case was referred to the disciplinary panel in August following an internal audit into the allegations. He had already been removed from his post pending the outcome of the review.