Responding to the Busan District Court‘s ruling against the validity of the appointment of new members to the Busan International Film Festival’s advisory committee on Monday, officials from BIFF expressed regret at the court‘s decision, saying it would pose “serious problems” to the preparations for the festival, set to be held this October.

The Busan Metropolitan Government on March 14 filed an injunction against the appointment of 68 new members to BIFF’s advisory committee -- undertaken by then-executive director Lee Yong-kwan. The court has ruled the new appointments invalid until a suit is filed.

According to the ruling, because the large-scale appointment undertaken by Lee causes a “fundamental change in the composition of (BIFF’s) organizing committee” and “distorts” its decision-making structure, it should be considered “null and void” regardless of the executive director’s right to appoint advisory committee members.  

Although BIFF’s bylaws give the executive director the right to appoint advisory committee members unilaterally, and there is no limit to the number of advisory committee members he can appoint, “(the bylaws) cannot be interpreted to mean that the executive director can appoint an unlimited number of new advisory committee members,” the court said.

In a statement issued following the court ruling, officials from BIFF said, “We urge Busan Metropolitan Government to agree to bylaws that will guarantee the autonomy and independence of the festival.”

With the court’s ruling, the number of advisory committee members has shrunk from 107 to 39 for the time being.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)