2024-07-27 10:28:18
[초유의 ‘방통위원 0명’]
Opposition party pushes through revision of Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act, new provision for ‘quorum’ of 4 or more members
Increase in the number of public broadcasting directors and expand external recommendations… Differences in positions still large over the ‘3 Broadcasting Laws’
The opposition party says, “Exclude political influence,” while the ruling party says, “Permanent control law.”
The revision bill to the Korea Communications Commission Act, which the opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, pushed through at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 26th, focuses on the new provision of a “quorum” that requires at least four out of five KCC members to be present to hold a meeting. Under the current law, a meeting can be held with the request of two or more members. The KCC is comprised of five members, including the chairperson. Of these, two members, including the chairperson, are nominated by the president, and the ruling party and the opposition party each recommend one of the three members. Since the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol government amid conflict between the ruling and opposition parties, the KCC has been unable to break away from the two-member KCC system, which is the president’s share.
This is the background to the Democratic Party’s claim that “this is a revision to prevent the government and the ruling party from operating the five-member KCC as a two-member system through illegal means.” Representative Han Jun-ho of the Democratic Party, who introduced the bill, argued for the need for a “four-member quorum,” saying, “Currently, important decisions are made at the KCC meetings with the attendance and resolution of two members appointed by the president.” The intention is to prevent the current situation in which a small number of KCC members from the government and the ruling party are dominating public broadcasting operations, etc.
On the other hand, the People Power Party is opposing the revision bill’s push through, saying, “The Democratic Party is trying to create a ‘vegetable KCC. ’” According to the revision bill, even if just two KCC members from the opposition party object, the KCC meeting cannot be held at all. In response to the Democratic Party’s claim that “the KCC is being operated illegally with a two-member system,” People Power Party lawmaker Choi Hyung-doo, who is the floor leader of the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, refuted the claim, saying, “It is because the opposition party has not recommended KCC members despite the government’s repeated requests,” and “The problem of operating with a two-member system can be solved if only the opposition party recommends members.”
There is also a large difference in position between the ruling and opposition parties on the three broadcasting laws (amendments to the Broadcasting Act, Broadcast Culture Promotion Act, and Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act), which the opposition party plans to sequentially submit to the plenary session by the end of this month.
The three broadcasting laws are aimed at increasing the number of public broadcasting board members from 11 to 21 for KBS and from 9 to 21 for MBC and EBS, and expanding the authority to recommend directors, currently held by the Korea Communications Commission, to external organizations such as media-related academic societies, the Korea Broadcasting Journalists Association, the Korea PD Association, the Korea Broadcasting Engineers Association, and the Viewers’ Committee.
The Democratic Party is arguing that the bill is necessary because it “eliminates political influence in the process of selecting public broadcasting directors and democratically reflects the representation of practitioners and academic opinions in the composition of the board of directors.” It is said that this will enhance the public nature of broadcasting. A Democratic Party official said, “This is a bill that reflects the long-standing demand of the progressive camp and civil society that broadcasting should be returned to the viewers.”
On the other hand, the People Power Party is opposing it, saying, “It is a law that will permanently control the public broadcasting of the Democratic Party.” People Power Party lawmaker Park Dae-chul claimed, “It is a legislation that will drive a nail so that the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ media union will completely and permanently control MBC, KBS, and EBS,” and “It is an attempt to permanently control the broadcasting and create an iron rice bowl for a certain group with the people’s tax money.” The intention is that the three broadcasting laws will allow people from pro-Democratic Party groups to enter the board of directors of public broadcasting. The ruling party plans to request the president to exercise his right to request reconsideration (veto) if the bills are passed.
Reporter Kim Jun-il [email protected]
Reporter Yoon Da-bin [email protected]
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2024-07-27 10:28:18