KT chairman Lee Suk-chae will serve his second term after a special review committee on Wednesday recommended him as the only candidate for the top position at the nation’s largest fixed-line carrier.

Even though the final decision is made during a shareholder’s meeting early next year, his reappointment has actually been confirmed, industry sources said.

Lee’s official term of three years expires in March and he will serve another three years until 2015, KT said in a statement released late Wednesday.

The CEO, who took office in January 2009, led the merger of KT with KTF, the telecommunications arm and carried out a major overhaul in the following years.

KT was also the first local telecom operator to introduce Apple’s iPhone, which invigorated the nation’s smartphone market and related industries.

Lee, however, has recently faced criticism as the company’s failed frequency policy has dragged down its launch of the fourth-generation network service.

By Lee Ji-yoon
(jylee@heraldcorp.com)