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Lee Tae-hyun, Former CEO of Wavve, Named Final Candidate for KBS President

PolicyOctober 20, 20261 min read

Lee Tae-hyun, a former head of KBS's content business and a former CEO of the streaming service Wavve, has been picked as a final candidate to become the next president of KBS, South Korea's public broadcaster. He still needs to pass more steps before he can take the job.

What happened

The KBS board held a short special meeting on the 20th. After final interviews with three people, the board chose Lee Tae-hyun as its final candidate for KBS president.

Key facts

Three people were interviewed: Kim Young-sam, Eom Kyung-cheol, and Lee Tae-hyun.
Lee joined KBS as a PD (producer) in 1994.
He led the programming policy department and the content business division at KBS.
From 2019, he was CEO of Contentswave, which runs the OTT (streaming video) service Wavve.

How a KBS president is chosen

The KBS board first nominates a person for the job. Then the National Assembly holds a confirmation hearing. After that, the President of South Korea makes the final appointment.

Why it matters

KBS is a major public broadcaster, so its leader affects its TV shows, news, and digital services. Lee's background in both traditional TV and streaming could shape how KBS competes online.

What to watch

Whether the National Assembly holds a confirmation hearing for Lee.
Whether the President formally appoints him.
How KBS plans to grow its content and streaming business under new leadership.

Glossary

KBS: South Korea's public TV and radio broadcaster, funded mainly by public money.
Wavve: A South Korean streaming app for TV shows, movies, and videos (called 웨이브 in the article).
OTT: Over-the-top; video services that people watch over the internet instead of cable or satellite TV.
PD: Producer; the person who plans and leads how a TV program is made.

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