Acting Chief Choi Vetoes Amendment to Korea Communications Commission Act: "Harmful to Citizens and Businesses"

Choi Sang-mok Exercises Ninth Veto
"Operation of Broadcasting and Communications Commission Will Be Difficult, Public Will Suffer"
On Pension Reform: "Glad Ruling and Opposition Parties Have Reached Agreement"

Yonhap News

Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as Minister of Strategy and Finance, exercised his right to request reconsideration (veto) on the 18th against the 'Amendment to the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act' passed by the plenary session of the National Assembly led by the opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea. This is the ninth veto exercise since he assumed the acting role.

At the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that morning, Acting President Choi stated, "The amendment to the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act has significant unconstitutionality and raises serious concerns about the stable functioning of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission, so I request reconsideration from the National Assembly."

He pointed out, "The amendment to the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act was already discarded last August after the government requested reconsideration on the grounds that it undermines the principle of separation of powers," adding, "Nevertheless, the National Assembly processed the bill without properly addressing the issues pointed out by the government and instead included additional unconstitutional provisions such as the 'deemed appointment clause for Broadcasting and Communications Commissioners.'"

He continued, "If the strict quorum requirements are applied as in the amendment, it will be impossible to convene meetings without committee recommendations from the National Assembly, making the normal operation of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission difficult," and emphasized, "Ultimately, the commission will be unable to perform its basic functions such as licensing broadcasters, sanctioning illegal acts, and exempting disaster area reception fees, causing the damage to fall directly on the public and businesses."

The amendment to the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act includes a provision that the full meeting of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission can only be held if at least three standing members are present. Currently, the Broadcasting and Communications Commission has five standing members, but three seats recommended by the National Assembly are vacant, so it is operating with only two members: Chairperson Lee Jin-sook and Vice Chairperson Kim Tae-gyu, both appointed by the President. Previously, the People Power Party requested Acting President Choi to exercise the veto, arguing that the amendment would paralyze the commission's work.

While Acting President Choi has not appointed Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court Justice candidate, and after vetoing the amendment to the Special Act on the Myung Tae-gyun Special Prosecutor, he also vetoed the amendment to the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act, the Democratic Party is expected to intensify its offensive against him. Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, targeted Acting President Choi at the morning floor strategy meeting, saying, "It is difficult to overlook any longer the responsibility for abandoning the solemn duty to uphold the Constitution and violating the constitutional order," and demanded, "Appoint candidate Ma by tomorrow."

Regarding the recent tentative agreement between the ruling and opposition parties on the fundamental reform of the National Pension, Acting President Choi said that day, "I am glad that the ruling and opposition parties have finally come together in agreement on pension reform," and added, "I hope the fundamental reform plan will be finalized soon and that discussions to secure the fundamental sustainability of the National Pension can begin in earnest."