Seoul: Lee Jin-sook, the former head of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), was taken into custody on Thursday over allegations of election law violations and a breach of political neutrality, as reported by the police. Lee was apprehended near her residence around 4 p.m. and subsequently transported to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station by 5:40 p.m.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the authorities decided to detain Lee after she failed to comply with summons for questioning on more than three occasions. The charges against her stem from accusations of making partisan remarks during appearances on conservative YouTube channels in September of the previous year. The police have stated that these remarks not only breached political neutrality but also allegedly aimed to obstruct the election of President Lee Jae Myung.

In July, Lee had been cautioned by the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding her comments, and multiple complaints were filed against her. Her legal representative has described the arrest as unjust, citing her participation in a parliamentary filibuster as the reason for her non-compliance with the summons. The lawyer further noted that Lee had already communicated the reasons for her absence to the police.

The detention comes a day after Lee was automatically dismissed from her position due to the enactment of a government reorganization bill that led to the dissolution of the KCC. On the same day, Lee contested the constitutionality of the law dismantling the KCC by filing a petition with the Constitutional Court.

Lee Jin-sook was appointed to a three-year term by former President Yoon Suk Yeol in July 2024. The police now have 48 hours to decide whether to seek a formal arrest warrant from a court or to release her.