Broadcasting Four Laws Return to the National Assembly... Opposition Seven Parties Show Willingness to Cooperate

Discussion on Measures for Tonight's Joint Meeting

President Yoon Suk-yeol exercised his 19th veto, prompting the opposition parties to strengthen their cooperation. They plan to jointly respond not only to the Broadcasting Four Laws (amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Agency Act, the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act, and the Act on the Establishment of the Korea Communications Commission) but also to recent controversies such as the issue involving Kim Hyung-seok, the director of the Independence Hall of Korea.

Park Chan-dae, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, along with the party's floor leadership and members of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee, held an urgent press conference on the afternoon of the 12th in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, condemning the approval of the veto on the 'Broadcasting 4 Laws'. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the evening of the 13th, the floor leaders of the six opposition parties?Democratic Party of Korea, Party for National Innovation, Reform Party, Social Democratic Party, Basic Income Party, and Progressive Party?are scheduled to meet at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul. This will be the first meeting of opposition floor leaders since the opening of the 22nd National Assembly.

During the meeting, the opposition floor leaders are expected to discuss countermeasures against the Broadcasting Four Laws, which President Yoon vetoed the previous day, citing that the bills were not agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties. The National Assembly must reconvene to hold a re-vote on the Broadcasting Four Laws.

Since June, the seven opposition parties have been cooperating to promote the Broadcasting Four Laws. They formed the "Joint Countermeasure Committee of the Seven Opposition Parties to Prevent Media Suppression" and jointly proposed amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Agency Act, and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act. On the 1st of this month, they met with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik to demand a "state audit on broadcasting control." Kim Hyun, a Democratic Party member and the opposition party's ranking member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee, stated, "We explained the necessity of a state audit, and the seven opposition parties agreed to work together to find a method." He added, "Speaker Woo expressed sympathy for the need for a state audit and suggested exploring various options."

Based on opposition cooperation, the Democratic Party is increasing pressure on the Yoon administration. On the same day, Park Chan-dae, acting party leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, "President Yoon's frequent use of vetoes blatantly shows that he has no intention of considering the opposition as partners in governance or respecting the National Assembly's legislative authority." He added, "Vetoing laws overwhelmingly passed by the seven opposition parties is a direct rejection of public sentiment."