Seoul: The National Assembly, led by the Democratic Party (DP), passed a contentious broadcasting bill on Thursday, aiming to reduce the government's influence over public broadcasters. The ruling DP successfully pushed the bill through despite significant opposition from the main opposition party, the People Power Party (PPP), which boycotted the vote.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the parliamentary plenary session saw the amendment to the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act pass with 169 lawmakers in favor and one against, out of 171 lawmakers. The legislation is part of a set of three controversial broadcasting bills introduced by the DP, which would alter the governance structure of public broadcasters KBS, MBC, and EBS by increasing the number of their board directors and involving media and broadcasting associations.
The new bill expands the number of board members of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, the major shareholder of MBC, from nine to 13. This move has deepened the rift between the DP and the PPP, with the latter arguing that the bills would boost the presence of progressive figures on the boards of public broadcasters.
The bill had been postponed when the July extraordinary session concluded at midnight on August 5 after the PPP launched a filibuster to block its passage. In Thursday's session, the DP, holding a parliamentary majority with 167 out of 298 seats, also presented the remaining broadcasting bill, the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act. The PPP immediately launched another filibuster to prevent the vote.
The DP-controlled National Assembly had already passed an amendment to the Broadcasting Act, the first of the three broadcasting bills, earlier this month. The ruling party plans to propose additional legislation, including the so-called yellow envelope bill, which aims to broaden labor protections, and a revision to the Commercial Act.
Filibustering, a tactic involving extended speeches to delay a vote, can be halted after 24 hours if at least three-fifths of all parliament members, or 180 lawmakers, consent to it, as per the National Assembly Act.
In a related development, Choo Mi-ae, a six-term DP lawmaker, has been elected to lead the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee. This follows the expulsion of her predecessor, Lee Choon-suak, from the party over allegations of stock trading under a borrowed name.