ㅁㄴㅇㄴㅁㅇ 안녕하세요 ㅂBroadcast Showdown: South Korea Seeks Mediation Amidst Political Tug-of-War박준기

(Seoul=News1) Reporter Goo Gyo-woon Lim Yun-ji = National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik proposed a mediation plan regarding the ‘Broadcasting 4 Laws’ (Broadcasting Act, Broadcasting Culture Promotion Act, Korea Education Broadcasting System Act, and Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act) that the ruling and opposition parties are fiercely confronting on the 17th.

The opposition party is calling for the enforcement of the Broadcasting 4 Laws, while the government and ruling party are suggesting the formation of a nationwide consensus body after suspending the appointment process for public broadcasting directors.

Speaker Woo held a press conference at the National Assembly in the afternoon and said, “The ruling party should stop pushing through with the authority of the president and the government, and the opposition party should stop pushing through with numbers. I propose to the ruling and opposition parties and the people with a sense of urgency to put an end to this vicious cycle,” he said.

Speaker Woo suggested a ruling and opposition agreement on the Broadcasting Act, stating, “Let’s take a step back from the extreme confrontation surrounding the Broadcasting Act and design a truly reasonable public broadcasting system with a cooling-off period.”

He then urged the opposition party, saying, “Stop the enforcement of the Broadcasting 4 Laws and demand that the ruling party reconsider the bill from scratch. Also, request the suspension of discussions on the recommendation for the impeachment of the chairman of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission.”

He also made a request to the government and ruling party, saying, “We hope that the appointment schedule for public broadcasting directors will be suspended, and we urge the immediate cessation of the chaotic operation of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission and the implementation of measures for normalization.”

Speaker Woo proposed the formation of a nationwide consensus body to resolve this issue, saying, “Let’s establish a discussion body with the participation of ruling and opposition parties, the civil society, media practitioners, and media scholars, and set a deadline of about two months to reach a conclusion.”

He continued, saying, “Let’s have a final debate, even an overnight debate. I urge the citizens to pay attention and monitor broadcasting and communications, which are public goods and belong to the people.”

Speaker Woo emphasized, “In the past 13 months, the position of the chairman of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission has been replaced seven times due to the appointment of the chairman by the government and the recommendation for impeachment by the opposition party. We must put an end to this vicious cycle.”

Speaker Woo plans not to hold a plenary session on the 18th, as demanded by the Democratic Party of Korea, and wait for the ruling and opposition parties’ response to his proposal until the 25th.

He said, “I plan to wait for at least one week for a response. There is no agenda to schedule a plenary session on the 18th, and if the government and ruling party, as well as the opposition party, accept (the proposal), we will not put the Broadcasting 4 Laws on the agenda for the plenary session on the 25th, and instead engage in discussions for two months.”

However, he emphasized, “If the ruling and opposition parties do not accept the mediation plan, the Speaker of the National Assembly will have to make a judgment based on the situation.”

The Democratic Party of Korea plans to handle the Broadcasting 4 Laws at the plenary session on the 25th at the latest. The People Power Party announced that they would prepare a filibuster to prevent this, creating another extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties following the handling of the Marine Corps Special Investigation Bill.

kukoo@news1.kr