S. Korea prosecutors arrest former head of state broadcaster
SEOUL - THE former head of South Korea's top public broadcaster KBS was arrested on Tuesday, a day after he was sacked by President Lee Myung Bak, prosecutors said.
The prosecutors office said former KBS chief Jung Yun Joo was arrested at his house as part of an investigation into his alleged mismanagement.
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) has defended Mr Lee's decision on Monday to dismiss Mr Jung on the grounds of poor management.
But the main opposition Democratic Party has threatened to file a constitutional petition against Mr Lee's decision, which it said was aimed at controlling the media.
The KBS board voted last week to oust Mr Jung, accusing him of breach of trust and poor management. State auditors have accused Mr Jung of responsibility for the loss of more than 200 billion won (S$272 million) by the broadcaster during his tenure.
Mr Jung, a 62-year-old former liberal journalist, was picked by then-president Roh Moo Hyun in 2003 and reappointed to a three-year term that had been due to end in November 2009.
He had resisted government pressure to resign, claiming Mr Lee's conservative government was seeking to oust him in a bid to control the media.
The GNP has said Mr Jung was a political appointee in the first place. -- AFP
