Justice Party: "Media Arbitration Act, Glad for Decision on Consensus Processing... Regret over 'Two-Party Centered' Consultative Body Formation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 31st, the Justice Party stated that it is "fortunate that the ruling and opposition parties agreed to handle the amendment to the Media Arbitration Act by consensus rather than by force" after postponing its passage and deciding to discuss it at next month's plenary session, but also expressed "regret that the conclusion was to be made by a 'consultative body' composed only of the two major parties."

On the same day, floor spokesperson Lee Eun-ju said in a written briefing, "The procedural problem of pushing the bill through without sufficient discussion and deliberation to create social consensus is a major issue in the current Media Arbitration Act turmoil." She added, "The Justice Party's proposal to block the Democratic Party's legislative rush and to discuss through a special parliamentary committee on media reform was based on the democratic principle of legislation that the National Assembly should be at the center of discussions and incorporate organized opinions of various citizens into the legislative process," and expressed concern that "a consultative body composed only of the two major parties is highly likely to exclude the opinions of citizens represented through the Justice Party, as well as the diverse views of related civic organizations including the Media Union."

She further evaluated, "A consultative body composed only of the two major parties is unlikely to be a way to resolve the current conflicts surrounding legislation."

Chief spokesperson Lee Dong-young also held a briefing at the National Assembly Communication Office in the afternoon, saying, "It is fortunate and a meaningful decision that the bill will be handled by consensus rather than unilaterally forced," but expressed regret that "the composition of the consultative body was limited to lawmakers and committee members recommended by the two major parties in the agreement, and that the Broadcasting Act for improving the governance structure of public broadcasting, one-person media, and portal-related bills, which were mentioned during the consultation process, were excluded from the discussion, as well as other media reform-related laws."

Chief spokesperson Lee conveyed, "Regarding the problems of the Media Arbitration Act, such as punitive damages based on vague standards of intentionality and gross negligence for false or manipulated reports, opposition opinions have even emerged within the Democratic Party, and given the strong opposition from opposition parties and media organizations, we hope the Democratic Party will take a progressive stance on major issues."

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