DP unilaterally passes contentious broadcasting bills

Jun 19, 2024, 10:24 am

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Chairman Choi Min-hee beats gavel at the plenary session of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communicating Committee held at the National Assembly on June 18, 2024. Several seats are empty as members of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are absent./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa (@photolbh)

AsiaToday reporter Kim Myung-eun

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) is pushing to enact dozens of controversial bills and carry out special investigations with its 171 seats, putting strong pressure on the government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP). Analysts say that the DP’s parliamentary dominance has begun. There are growing doubts that the DP, which had been calling to protect the people’s livelihood, is a pursuing a politically disputable special prosecutions and stance from the beginning of the opening of the new National Assembly, as part to remove the judicial risk of its leader Lee Jae-myung.

The Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communicating Committee of the National Assembly approved on Tuesday the three broadcasting bills and the revision to the Korea Communications Commission’s establishment and operation law without a period of consideration, and handed it over to the Legislative and Judiciary Committee.

The package of three broadcasting revision bills, which had been vetoed by President Yoon Suk-yeol vetoed during the previous 21st National Assembly, include increasing the number of board members of KBS, MBC and EBS, and granting recommendation rights outside the National Assembly. The DP argues that the bills should be pursued to block the influence of the political circles on public broadcasting. However, the PPP is opposed to the bill, warning of the possibility that pro-opposition groups will dominate public broadcasting.

The PPP’s Media Special Committee criticized the committee’s enforcement of the three broadcasting bills, saying, “Their intention is to make the public broadcasting to the DP’s pet dog.”

The DP has also officially announced its plan to seek two special probes and four national investigations at the 22nd National Assembly. The two special probes refer to the investigation into the death of a Marine Corps officer surnamed Chae and another involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee. The four national investigations include the investigation into suspicions of concealing the post of officer Chae, preferential treatment involving Seoul and Yangpyeong Expressway, control of broadcasting, and oil development in the East Sea. The DP held a committee meeting on the previous day and started to review the bill. It plans to submit the First Lady-related bill to the committee.

The PPP, which has shown helplessness as a minority ruling party, chose to go to the Constitutional Court amid the DP’s overwhelming opposition in all directions. The ruling party filed a request for a trial on a power dispute with the Constitutional Court in the name of all 108 lawmakers against Woo Won-shik, chairman of the National Assembly, claiming that the composition of the National Assembly is invalid.

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