Minhee Choi: "Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee Standing Members Finalized"... Full Operation Imminent

At the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications New Year's Gathering: "Non-standing Members to Be Finalized Next Week"
Kim Jongcheol, Chairperson of the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee: "Regret Over Delays in Committee Formation... Responding to a New Era with Integrated Media Law"

Minhee Choi, Chairperson of the National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee.

The Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee is now on the verge of securing the quorum necessary to operate its first full meeting since its establishment. With the selection of National Assembly-appointed committee members accelerating, the committee's operations, which had effectively been at a standstill, are expected to gain momentum.

On January 23, Minhee Choi, Chairperson of the National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, announced at the 'Broadcasting, Media, and Communications New Year's Gathering' held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, "We have finalized the standing committee members," and added, "Only the leadership's final decision on the non-standing members remains. By early next week, the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee plans to finalize both the non-standing members of the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee and the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Review Committee." Earlier that day, the Democratic Party had held a Supreme Council meeting and decided to recommend Ko Minsu, a professor at Gangneung-Wonju National University, as a standing committee member for the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee.

As a result, the likelihood of meeting the attendance requirement, which was the key to convening the committee's full meeting, has increased. The Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee requires the attendance of at least four out of its seven members to make decisions. However, it had previously operated with only two presidentially appointed members, making it difficult to fulfill its functions.

Meanwhile, Kim Jongcheol, Chairperson of the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee, attended the event and said in his New Year's address, "In order to pursue integrated policies for broadcasting and media in a rapidly changing environment, we have embarked on a new journey under the name 'Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee.' I regret that the delay in forming the committee has prevented us from promptly addressing the many pending issues."

He also made clear his commitment to reorganizing the integrated media legal framework and regulatory innovation. Chairperson Kim stated, "It is time to boldly dismantle outdated regulatory barriers and establish a future-oriented, integrated media legal framework. In this era of AI-driven transformation, we will create a new order where technological innovation and human-centered values coexist."

He further emphasized, "While we will strongly protect freedom of expression, we will respond strictly to illegal information such as false or manipulated content and digital sex crimes, in order to build a trusted public sphere. By eliminating the asymmetrical regulations of the analog era, we will become a stepping stone for our companies to advance into the global market."