Broadcasting Act Passed by Democratic Party Amid Three Broadcasting Laws; People Power Party Walks Out as Filibuster Ends

Passed with 178 Votes in Favor Out of 180 Present
Includes Provisions to Diversify Board Member Nomination Authority

The amendment to the Broadcasting Act, aimed at improving the governance structure of the public broadcaster Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), was passed at the National Assembly plenary session on August 5, led by the Democratic Party of Korea. This is the first of the so-called "three broadcasting laws" (the amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act, and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act) to be passed, overcoming the unlimited debate (filibuster) launched by the People Power Party.

At the plenary session held that afternoon, the National Assembly passed the amendment to the Broadcasting Act with 178 votes in favor and 2 against, out of 180 lawmakers present. The People Power Party, which opposes the amendment, boycotted the vote in protest against its passage. Earlier, the People Power Party had launched a filibuster against the amendment, but due to parliamentary regulations allowing unlimited debate to be ended by a vote 24 hours after the start of debate, the filibuster was concluded within a day.

On the 5th, the partial amendment to the Broadcasting Act was passed at the plenary session held at the National Assembly, with seats of the People Power Party vacant. 2025.8.5 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Prior to the vote on the Broadcasting Act, the Democratic Party and other members of the ruling bloc ended the filibuster on the amendment through a secret ballot. Out of 188 lawmakers present, 187 voted in favor and 1 against.

The amendment to the Broadcasting Act increases the number of KBS board members from the current 11 to 15. The authority to recommend board members, which had mostly belonged to the National Assembly, will now be extended to the viewers' committee, KBS employees, academic societies related to broadcasting and media, and associations of lawyers. In addition, the amendment includes the establishment of a committee to recommend the president of KBS and introduces a system requiring approval for the appointment of the head of news.

Following the passage of the Broadcasting Act amendment, the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act, the second of the three broadcasting laws, was introduced at the plenary session. However, the filibuster on the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act is expected to conclude around midnight, as the July extraordinary session of the National Assembly ends on this day.