PPP vows to stop ruling party’s push to pass media bill

Sep 29, 2021, 08:14 am

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People Power Party spokesperson Lim Seung-ho/ Source: Lim Seung-ho’s social media

AsiaToday reporter Jo Jae-hak

The main opposition People Power (PPP) stressed Tuesday that it will make its best to prevent the ruling party’s push to pass the amendment of the Press Arbitration Act and to protect freedom of the press.

“The amendment to the media law proposed by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) is evolving from the ‘Press Restriction Act’ to the ‘Press Destruction Act,’” Lim Seung-ho, a spokesperson of the PPP, said in a commentary on Tuesday.

On September 17, the DP proposed the bill centered on strengthening punitive damages against fake news.

“The ruling party’s amendment proposal expands the scope of punitive damages from ‘false or manipulated reports that are intentional or caused by serious negligence’ to ‘untruthful reports’. Besides, it’s the news provider that should prove that there was no intention or serious negligence,” the spokesperson said. “It is trying to realize a dangerous thought that requires the defendant proof of non-existence.”

“It means it will destroy one of the functions of the press, that is watching power,” Lim said. “Under the super-constitutional press control act, what kind of journalist could fight against great power?”

“The PPP has provided alternatives to effectively relieve the damage of press reports while guaranteeing freedom of the press for the cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties,” he said.

“It divides the amount of damage into three categories - property damage, personal right infringement, and mental suffering. When calculating the amount, actual damage is calculated based on the timing of implementation and whether corrected report is provided,” Lim said.

“Nevertheless, the DP is only sticking to its own amendment that effectively ruin freedom of the press,” he said. “If the Democrats intend to delay the date of the plenary session scheduled on Monday and use the eight-member council only as a pretext for the passage during the plenary session, it is a big mistake,” he warned.

#People Power Party #Press Arbitration Act #Democratic Party