Schedule for Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee Meetings on Three Broadcasting Bills Also Postponed
Consideration Given to Lee's G7 Summit Attendance and the Democratic Party's Floor Leader Election
The schedule for handling key pending bills has been postponed as the plenary session of the National Assembly, originally scheduled for June 12, will not be held. The schedule of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, which was set to review and vote on the three broadcasting bills during this week's plenary session, has also been delayed accordingly.
Park Chandae, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking while presiding over the last floor strategy meeting of the current floor leadership at the National Assembly on June 10, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
On June 10, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik announced via social media, "After confirming with the floor leaders of both ruling and opposition parties in the Speaker's office, there was no request to convene a plenary session on June 12," adding, "Therefore, the plenary session on June 12 will not be held."
Previously, on June 5, the Democratic Party had announced plans to handle bills for which President Yoon Suk Yeol had exercised his right of reconsideration (veto) at the plenary session scheduled for June 12. The bills expected to be addressed included the three broadcasting bills, the so-called "trial suspension bill" (amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act), and the "Supreme Court justice expansion bill" (amendment to the Court Organization Act), all of which had been vetoed.
Until the previous day, individual lawmakers had expressed their intention to process these bills at the plenary session. However, after much deliberation, the Democratic Party's floor leadership decided not to hold the plenary session. Observers note that this decision reflects the current political situation, including President Lee Jaemyung's attendance at the G7 Summit from June 15 to 17 and the Democratic Party's new floor leader election scheduled for June 12 to 13.
No Jongmyeon, spokesperson for the Democratic Party's floor leadership, stated, "The plan to postpone the handling of the bills was made official today, and I understand the decision was reached late yesterday afternoon." He added, "There was a meeting of the floor leadership, as well as coordination with the presidential office and meetings of each standing committee." He continued, "We decided to have the new floor leadership review the matter once more. If further coordination is needed, it may take more time, but if an agreement is reached, the process will move forward quickly."
With the postponement of the plenary session, the schedule for the subcommittee and full committee meetings of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, which were to review and vote on the three broadcasting bills (the Broadcasting Act, the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act, and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act), has also been delayed.
The three broadcasting bills aim to expand the boards of directors of public broadcasters such as the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), the Foundation for Broadcast Culture (major shareholder of MBC), and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), in order to guarantee their independence and political neutrality. The three broadcasting bills passed the threshold of the plenary session in the 22nd National Assembly under the leadership of the Democratic Party, but were scrapped after former President Yoon Suk Yeol exercised his veto. Kim Hyun, the ruling party's secretary of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, stated, "The schedule was postponed because there is no plenary session this week."
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