KBS License Fee Paid Separately from Electricity Bill...KCC Approves Broadcasting Act Amendment

Passed 2 to 1... Enforced After Promulgation This Month

For the first time in 30 years, television broadcast reception fees (KBS·EBS reception fees) will be separated from electricity charges. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has passed an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act reflecting this change.

On the 5th, the KCC held a plenary meeting and announced that it had resolved to amend part of the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act to separate the reception fee from electricity charges for billing and collection purposes.

The Korea Communications Commission is holding a plenary meeting on the 5th.
[Photo by Oh Su-yeon]

The Broadcasting Act stipulates that citizens who own a television receiver must pay a monthly reception fee of 2,500 KRW, which is used as funding for KBS and EBS. Currently, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is entrusted with collecting this fee. The amendment prohibits KEPCO, which is entrusted with the reception fee collection, from combining the billing of reception fees with electricity bill notifications. Article 43, Paragraph 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act currently states that "when the designated entity collects the reception fee, it may combine this with billing acts related to its own primary duties." The amendment changes this to prohibit "combining the billing of reception fees with billing acts related to the designated entity's own primary duties as designated by the Korea Broadcasting Corporation."

Currently, the KCC standing commissioners consist of two members recommended by the ruling party and one member recommended by the opposition party. Two seats are vacant. On this day, the ruling party-recommended commissioners, Acting Chairman Kim Hyo-jae and Commissioner Lee Sang-in, voted in favor, passing the amendment. Opposition party-recommended Commissioner Kim Hyun opposed the agenda and left the meeting just before the resolution. Commissioner Kim Hyun has been on a hunger strike since the 3rd in opposition to the amendment of the Broadcasting Act.

Acting Chairman Kim Hyo-jae said, "Although the amount is less than that of a convenience store lunchbox, the issue is not the amount. The public is questioning whether KBS has the right to ask the people for reception fees," adding, "Wasteful management is not a new problem. Yet, no effort has ever been made to resolve it."

Commissioner Lee Sang-in stated, "This amendment is not an abolition but a separation of collection," and added, "If public trust is restored, the public will willingly pay the reception fees, which are the funding source for public broadcasting."

After the meeting, Commissioner Kim Hyun issued a statement saying, "The resolution by two KCC commissioners on the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act violates the Constitution and laws," and claimed, "Rushing the issue of public broadcasting funding will definitely have consequences." He also said, "It is suspicious that the separation of collection, disguised as abolition of the reception fee, is being pushed forward without any review of public responsibility measures."

Discussions on separating the reception fee collection began when the Presidential Office's National Proposal Review Committee held a public participation debate on "Improvement of TV Reception Fee Collection Methods" from March 9 to April 9. It gained momentum last month on the 5th when the KCC and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy were recommended to prepare amendments to related laws and follow-up implementation plans for separating the reception fee collection.

On the 14th of last month, the KCC prepared the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act after plenary discussions on the recommendations. After consulting related ministries and public notice, the amendment was resolved at this plenary meeting. The KCC plans to implement the amendment from the date of promulgation after approval by the Vice-Ministerial Meeting and the Cabinet Meeting. It is expected to be enforced within this month. Additionally, the KCC will check to ensure that KBS and KEPCO, the entrusted entity for reception fee collection, promptly discuss specific implementation plans to prepare for the system's enforcement.

Meanwhile, before the plenary meeting began on the same day, Democratic Party lawmakers, including Cho Seung-rae, the party's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee spokesperson, visited the KCC to protest. They claimed, "The KCC must immediately stop the hasty amendment of the Enforcement Decree and illegal broadcasting control," accusing President Yoon Seok-yeol of attempting to seize control of broadcasting.

Also, Representative Cho met with Acting Chairman Kim and said, "If you want to reduce the public burden, propose a bill to abolish the KBS reception fee," adding, "Pushing this through by numerical superiority goes against the purpose of establishing the KCC. Hasty and violent promotion will cause serious confusion." Acting Chairman Kim responded, "This is not violence," and said, "The reception fee burden is a matter for the entire public, and we will do what we can according to the will of the people."