After a final round of interviews that didn't find a successful candidate, actor Lee Won-jong is no longer in the running for the presidency of the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

Officials say that after interviews on February 10, all five finalists, including Lee, were disqualified. In the first stage of the hiring process, 32 people applied, and five made it to the final round.

An official from KOCCA confirmed the results of the screening process. The official said in a statement quoted by Seoul Shinmun, "All candidates, including Lee Won-jong, were deemed ineligible during the screening process."

The five finalists were said to be people who had worked in the content industry before, with experience in broadcasting and production. But none of them met the last requirements for the job.

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Lee Won-jong is known for his role in the 2002–2003 drama "Wild Times" and for his outspoken support of President Lee Jae-myung. He first appeared in the 1999 film "No Mercy."

Naver says that Lee has publicly backed the president since he was mayor of Seongnam. He said during the last presidential campaign, "I'm blue through and through, and I'm Lee Jae-myung in my bones." He was also the vice-chairman of the K-Culture Powerhouse Committee, which was led by Lee Jae-myung at the time.

Lee talked about why he took a political stance in an interview with the media that was mentioned in the coverage. "I saw him give a speech at a market in Seongnam. Watching that, I shed tears with him and instinctively sensed that he was struggling and lonely, and I felt I needed to lend a hand."

Some politicians didn't like that he was running for head of KOCCA. Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party, asked if the possible appointment was right.

Joo asked, "Does it make sense to appoint Lee Won-jong, a prominent pro-Myeong actor, as the head of the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)? What expertise does he have?" He added, "KOCCA is a very important public institution that manages 600 billion won of taxpayer money every year."

KOCCA, which is in charge of areas like gaming, webtoons, and broadcasting, has been without a permanent president for one year and five months since Cho Hyun-rae stepped down as president in September 2024.

In the near future, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism should start hiring again.

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