Submitted to Full Committee on the 27th
Democratic Party Expected to Lead Passage
Four Opposition Parties Oppose: "Freedom for Party Banners"
A bill prohibiting banners from political parties that promote hate or discrimination is expected to pass the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on November 27.
According to the National Assembly, the proposed amendment to the Outdoor Advertisements Act, which includes this provision, was submitted to the committee's plenary session on this day. An official from the Democratic Party of Korea stated, "We plan to address the Outdoor Advertisements Act during the meeting." The bill passed the first subcommittee on legislative review of the committee, led by the Democratic Party, on November 20.
The amendment removes political party banners from the list of exemptions to the Outdoor Advertisements Act. It also includes provisions banning advertisements that discriminate based on religion, country of origin, region, and other factors. Previously, a 2022 revision to the law exempted "expressions of party policies or political issues guaranteed as ordinary party activities" from permit and reporting requirements for outdoor advertisements, effectively lifting regulations on political party banners. Now, after three years, new regulations on political party banners are being introduced.
The push for regulating political party banners accelerated following remarks by President Lee Jaemyung. During a cabinet meeting on November 11, President Lee pointed out, "Even if vulgar and shameful banners are hung on the streets, we cannot remove them if they are posted by political parties," and instructed officials to come up with measures against hate banners.
While the National Assembly is working to amend the law, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety issued the "Guidelines for the Application of Prohibited Advertisements under the Outdoor Advertisements Act" on November 18. The guidelines provide criteria for identifying hate banners as prohibited advertisements under current law. Examples of prohibited types include "false or exaggerated statements intended to demean a particular country," and "expressions that promote prejudice or discrimination, such as discrimination against women, contempt for men, or denigration of sexual minorities." If the law is amended in addition to these administrative guidelines, there will be a legal basis for measures such as the removal of hate or discriminatory political party banners.
However, there are differing opinions within the broader ruling coalition regarding the amendment to the Outdoor Advertisements Act. The Basic Income Party, the Innovation Party of Korea, the Progressive Party, and the Social Democratic Party held a press conference at the National Assembly the previous day, stating that they "clearly oppose" the amendment. They said, "While we deeply sympathize with the need to strengthen principled regulation of hate banners, if the amendment to the Outdoor Advertisements Act is passed as it is, it will become even more difficult to prevent the proliferation of political party banners, and there will be increased discrimination regarding approval of party banners and greater political restrictions on minor parties."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
