Park Suhyeon Calls for Groundbreaking Policy Shift for Regional Media Development

At the Confirmation Hearing for Choi Hwiyeong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nominee
"Support Needed for Regional Media to Serve as a Catalyst for the Local Era"

Suhyun Park, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Park Suhyeon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gongju, Buyeo, and Cheongyang in South Chungcheong Province, urged a groundbreaking policy shift for the development of regional newspapers during the confirmation hearing for Choi Hwiyeong, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, held on July 29. He called for the expansion of the Regional Newspaper Development Fund, the rationalization and expansion of the criteria for selecting priority support recipients, and a balanced distribution of government advertisements.

During the hearing, Park pointed out in detail the serious issues with the current support policies for regional newspapers, including the reduction of the Regional Newspaper Development Fund, unreasonable criteria for selecting priority support recipients, and the skewed allocation of government advertisements.

In response, Minister nominee Choi Hwiyeong expressed strong agreement. He emphasized his deep understanding of the importance of regional newspapers, drawing on his background in the media industry, and pledged financial support and balanced policy implementation. Choi stated, "Regional media should serve as the central pillar for the growth of each region," expressing his commitment to active support.

Park stressed, "We need to move beyond policies that simply select and support successful media companies. It is essential to fundamentally redefine regional newspaper development policies to preserve local culture and foster the self-sustainability needed to envision the future." He added, "We must support regional media so they can serve as a catalyst for overcoming the Seoul-centric approach and ushering in a true era of local autonomy."