Court dismisses damages suit by former broadcasting watchdog chief against YTN

SEOUL: A Seoul court on Friday dismissed a damages suit filed by Lee Dong-kwan, a former head of the state broadcasting watchdog, against local news channel YTN for covering allegations that his wife had received bribes in return for job favors. Lee, former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), filed the suit after the news channel reported on allegations that his wife had received money in exchange for job favors in 2010 before returning it two months later. He claimed the news channel had "maliciously reported on lopsided opinion" and filed a suit seeking 500 million won (US$360,821) in compensation. The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the suit without elaborating during the hearing. Lee, a former journalist who served as a senior secretary for press affairs during the Lee Myung-bak administration, was appointed as the chief of the state broadcasting watchdog in August before he stepped down about three months later ahead of a pending National Assembly impeachment vote. Source: Yonhap News Agency