Following the Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act... Democratic Party to Announce Processing of 'Broadcasting 4 Laws' on the 11th

Opposition Demands Plenary Session This Week
Pushes Passage of Broadcasting Act Amendment
Ruling Party Criticizes Permanent Left-Wing Broadcasting Control

The Democratic Party of Korea plans to push for the passage of the so-called 'Broadcasting Four Acts' through a plenary session of the National Assembly on the 11th.

Lee Hae-sik, the chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party, said after the party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th, "We will request a plenary session on the 11th to process key party bills such as the three broadcasting laws and the Korea Communications Commission Act." If the plenary session is held as planned by the Democratic Party, it will be the first time in a week since the passage of the special prosecutor law for Chae Sang-byeong on the 4th that major contentious bills will be addressed.

The three broadcasting laws announced by the Democratic Party refer to amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Act, and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act. These amendments aim to increase the number of directors of public broadcasters such as KBS, MBC, and EBS, and to change the governance structure by granting the right to recommend directors to media and broadcasting academic societies and related professional organizations. These bills had previously passed the plenary session of the 21st National Assembly but were discarded due to President Yoon Seok-yeol's veto (reconsideration request). The People Power Party criticizes the three broadcasting laws as the 'Left-wing Broadcasting Permanent Control Act.'

Park Chan-dae, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Policy Coordination Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The opposition parties also aim to include the amendment to the Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC Act) in the package. Together, these are called the 'Broadcasting Four Acts.' The amendment to the KCC Establishment Act proposes increasing the quorum for KCC resolutions from the current two standing commissioners to four. The relevant standing committee, the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, processed the bill last month on the 18th through a full committee meeting led solely by the opposition, skipping the subcommittee review.

The Democratic Party originally planned to pass the Broadcasting Four Acts in the June session of the National Assembly but postponed it to the July session to focus on the passage of the special prosecutor law for Chae Sang-byeong earlier this month. However, whether the plenary session will be held this week as the opposition plans remains uncertain. The process of passing the special prosecutor law for Chae Sang-byeong saw sharp confrontations between the ruling and opposition parties, deepening conflicts to the extent that the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Assembly was postponed.

The Democratic Party plans to hold a rally with civic groups at the National Assembly main building on the 10th to urge acceptance of the special prosecutor law, and on the 13th, to hold a nationwide rally with opposition parties and civic organizations in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, to increase pressure on the government and the ruling party.