Choi Min-hee, Chairwoman of the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee of the National Assembly, a member of the Democratic Party, announced during a National Assembly hearing on the 21st, “I will recommend two standing members of the Broadcasting and Communications Committee for the Democratic Party.” In response, the People Power Party immediately responded, “Withdraw the impeachment motion against Chairwoman Lee Jin-sook of the Broadcasting and Communications Committee, and have the National Assembly vote on one member of the Broadcasting and Communications Committee that the People Power Party will recommend.”
The Korea Communications Commission is a five-member consultative administrative body, including the chairman and four members of the KCC. The chairman and one standing member are nominated by the president, and the ruling and opposition parties each recommend one and two members for the remaining three standing members. The president decides whether to appoint them after a plenary session of the National Assembly.
The Democratic Party cited the need to “end the abnormal two-person system and normalize the KCC” as the reason for recommending two members for the opposition party. On the other hand, the Blue House and the ruling party see this as “an attempt to create a 2-member system with 4 members from each party, escalating extreme confrontation and creating a vegetative KCC, with Chairwoman Lee Jin-sook suspended from her duties due to the National Assembly’s passage of the impeachment bill and only one Vice Chairwoman Kim Tae-gyu remaining.” An official from the Blue House said in a phone call with the Dong-A Ilbo, “The urgent task is for the KCC to find its original function,” but added, “We will look into whether they are trying to create a 2-on-2 structure so that the KCC can do nothing.”
● Wild: “The Broadcasting and Communications Commission must be normalized”
At the plenary session of the National Assembly’s Defense and Public Relations Committee held on this day for the “3rd Hearing on Broadcasting Control, Including the Appointment of Director Bang Moon-jin,” Chairman Choi stated, “The Democratic Party will proceed with the selection of its own Broadcasting and Communications Commission members through a fair process via public offering,” and “The Democratic Party’s official position is that we expect President Yoon Seok-yeol to appoint the two Broadcasting and Communications Commission members recommended by the Democratic Party and for the Commissioners to re-recommend (appoint) public broadcasting directors.” Attorney Jang Yoon-mi, Vice-Chairwoman of the Democratic Party’s Legal Committee; Choi Jin-bong, Professor at Sungkonghoe University; and Park Sun-ah, Director of the Korea Broadcasting Promotion Association are being mentioned as potential candidates.
The Democratic Party is also judging that even if the ruling party recommends one of its own standing committee members, it will be impossible to pass the vote because the ruling and opposition parties will have a 2-2 ratio since the chairman is suspended from his duties. In the plenary session, Rep. Choi Hyung-doo, the floor leader of the ruling party’s Defense and Security Committee, raised the question, “Will the National Assembly also vote on one of the People Power Party’s recommended committee members?” Rep. Choi said, “Once the two Democratic Party-recommended committee members are appointed, the People Power Party’s recommended committee member will naturally be voted on in the plenary session as well,” adding, “At least four members of the Korea Communications Commission should be present to appoint directors of public broadcasting companies, including Director Bang Moon-jin.”
●Withdraw the impeachment bill against Lee Jin-sook first
Rep. Choi Hyung-doo emphasized, “We should move to a five-member system with the conclusion of the impeachment trial of Chairman Lee.” He is talking about lifting the suspension of Chairman Lee and returning the standing committee of the Korea Communications Commission to a five-member system with three ruling and opposition parties representing two to two, rather than a two-to-two structure.
The People Power Party responded, saying, “It is a play on words and a political offensive to impeach the chairman and then normalize the KCC.” Shin Dong-wook, the People Power Party’s floor leader, demanded, “If the Democratic Party truly has the will to normalize the KCC, they should immediately withdraw the impeachment motion against the chairman.” The Blue House said, “We plan to respond after looking into the Democratic Party’s intentions and recommended standing committee members.”
The ruling party believes that the Democratic Party’s intention in recommending the KCC members was to influence the KCC’s application for an injunction to suspend the appointment of directors of the Broadcast Culture Promotion Association (Bangmunjin), which is scheduled to be concluded by the 26th of this month. A ruling party official said, “The fact that the Democratic Party created the ‘two-person KCC system’ is being pointed out as a weakness.”
Since Acting Chairman Kim Hyo-jae and Commissioner Kim Hyeon retired in August of last year upon expiration of their terms, the Korea Communications Commission has effectively been maintained as a “two-person system” with only a chairman and vice-chairman appointed by the president, as the Democratic Party has repeatedly pushed for impeachment and voluntary resignations.
The KCC is in a situation where it must deal with pending issues such as the appointment of EBS directors and the re-licensing of some terrestrial broadcasters, including MBC, in the second half of this year. A KCC official said, “If the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial of Chairman Lee is delayed or the appointment of standing committee members is delayed, the appointment of EBS directors scheduled for the end of the year could be delayed to next year.”
Reporter Kim Seong-mo [email protected]
Reporter Yoon Da-bin [email protected]
Reporter Kim Ki-yoon [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog
Hot news right now
2024-08-21 17:47:37