In the Press
Parliament passes four contentious broadcasting bills amid protest from ruling party
- Aug 09, 2024
- 34
SEOUL, July 30 (Yonhap) -- The opposition-controlled National Assembly passed the last of four contentious broadcasting bills aimed at reducing the government's influence over public broadcasters Tuesday, ending a six-day filibuster by the ruling party.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) led the bill's passage in a 189-0 vote after passing a motion to forcefully end a 24-hour filibuster by the ruling People Power Party (PPP). PPP lawmakers left the Assembly chamber to boycott the vote in protest.
The revision to the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act aims to increase the number of board directors at public broadcaster EBS from the current nine to 21.
With Tuesday's vote, all four broadcasting bills -- amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act, the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act and the establishment of the Korea Communications Commission -- passed through the National Assembly.
The four bills are intended to reform the governance structure of the nation's public broadcast media by weakening the government and National Assembly's power to name board directors.
The PPP immediately staged a rally at the National Assembly denouncing the opposition's unilateral passage of the bills and said it will urge President Yoon Suk Yeol to exercise his veto rights.
"When they were in power, they formed the board according to the current law, and now that they've lost power and become the opposition, they are trying to reorganize the governance structure with pro-opposition union members to gain permanent control of broadcasting," PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said during the rally.
A presidential official hinted that Yoon could demand parliament reconsider the legislation as he already vetoed three of the bills last year.
"It is the presidential office's position that the ruling and opposition parties should reach an agreement to come up with an improved plan," he told reporters. "As it brings significant changes to the system related to the governance structure of public broadcasting, social consensus is essential."
Since Thursday, the PPP has held back-to-back filibusters to block the passage of the bills.
The PPP has claimed that the broadcasting bills will only increase the presence of progressive figures on the boards of public broadcasters, while the DP has said they will prevent political influence in the appointment of the heads of public broadcasters.
Last year, Yoon vetoed the three broadcasting bills, excluding the revision to the act on the establishment of the Korea Communications Commission, after they were passed by the opposition-controlled parliament.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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[Photo 1] A vote on the revision to the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act takes place at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 30, 2024. (Yonhap)
[Photo 2] Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, and party lawmakers stage a rally at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 30, 2024, denouncing the opposition party's unilateral passage of contentious broadcasting bills. (Yonhap)
