Science and ICT Committee to Hold '2nd and 3rd Hearings on Broadcast Takeover'... Ruling Party Objects to "Autocratic Operation"

On the 7th, the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee passed a plan to hold the 2nd and 3rd hearings related to broadcasting control, including the appointment of directors of the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation, led by the opposition party. This is a countermeasure following the notification that key witnesses, including Acting Chairman Kim Tae-gyu of the Korea Communications Commission, would not attend the 1st hearing scheduled for the 9th due to insufficient grounds for summoning witnesses. The opposition party plans to request the attendance of witnesses again for the 2nd hearing on the 14th and the 3rd hearing on the 21st. Members of the People Power Party protested this decision by leaving the meeting room.

On the same day, the Committee held a plenary session in the morning and adopted the agenda for the 'Adoption of the plan to hold the 2nd and 3rd hearings related to illegal appointments of the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation directors and broadcasting control, the request for witness attendance at the hearings, and the request for additional reference witnesses to attend the hearings.' Choi Min-hee, a member of the Committee from the Democratic Party, selected 22 witnesses, including Acting Chairman Kim of the Korea Communications Commission, for additional hearings.

Before the plenary vote, Choi Hyung-doo, the ruling party's secretary, pointed out, "The reason for suddenly trying to pass the agenda at today's plenary session is the self-defeating result of impeaching the Korea Communications Commission chairman first and then conducting on-site investigations and hearings," adding, "They paralyzed the decision-making structure of the Korea Communications Commission by impeaching the chairman and then pressured to produce materials that could be decided by the Commission."

He continued, "What the Democratic Party should do right now is to recommend two Korea Communications Commission members for the opposition party's quota," and added, "Since the impeachment and injunction applications were filed by the Democratic Party, please urge the Constitutional Court and the courts to make a prompt decision."

In response, Committee Chair Choi said, "If the President had appointed me, who was approved by the National Assembly plenary session on March 30, 2023, as the Democratic Party's recommended Korea Communications Commission member, I probably would not be here," and countered, "If Secretary Choi can guarantee that the President will appoint the Democratic Party's recommendation, I will make the recommendation." Then Secretary Choi said, "Of course, if there is no problem, why wouldn't we do it?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Hyun, the opposition party's secretary and a Democratic Party member, said, "On July 31, we decided to conduct on-site and document verification regarding the illegality of the public broadcasting director appointment process, and accordingly, we went to the Korea Communications Commission Gwacheon office," and questioned Secretary Choi, saying, "It is a meeting room, not a courtroom. The statement about occupying the courtroom is a very regrettable remark."

Ruling party members also criticized the unreasonable plenary session schedule that day. Shin Sung-beom of the People Power Party protested, saying, "It is not only unilateral but also an autocratic meeting operation," and added, "The reason for holding the 2nd hearing even though the 1st hearing has not been held is nothing more or less than to drag Vice Chairman Kim Tae-gyu in. I cannot agree at all with the promotion of the 2nd hearing."

Democratic Party member Lee Hoon-gi responded, "When holding the hearing for candidate Lee Jin-sook, I clearly pointed out that we should be cautious about the appointment of public broadcasting directors, but it was done suddenly under a two-person system," and added, "We went to the Korea Communications Commission for verification the day before, but we did not receive any materials. We must continue the 2nd and 3rd hearings."